Starless Night
by Dawnfire17
Summary: Nighpaw, daughter of loners, tries to discover her dark past with the help of her close friend, Cinderpaw. But with the clans darkest hour drawing ever nearer, Nighpaw has to decide where her loyalties lie, before the starless night settles...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Clouds swirled overhead, threatening rain. The sun was still not visible over the treetops, leaving a cool mist over the forest floor. Firestar picked his way through the underbrush, adding a scent marker to the border every now and then. He had chosen to go on the dawn patrol on his own, needing some time away from the clan. While sniffing the air for signs of Windclan, he let his mind drift to the previous evening. The gathering had been going as usual when a cloud had covered the full moon. Blackstar had been reporting a loner scented in Shadowclan territory. Because of the panic, the gathering had been cut short, and Thunderclan had been asking questions ever since. Firestar himself had questions about the unexpected severity of Starclan, but none had been answered.

Firestar pulled himself from his memories when he detected a trace of non-clan cats. Could these be the rouges that Starclan clearly did not want? Eats flat and teeth bared, he slithered through the underbrush, ready to pounce. Firestar leaped forward on the intruder, only to see a queen, huddled under a tree. He stopped, mid-pounce, when he saw her.

She did not protest, in fact, it took Firestar a few moments to detect her shallow breathing. She looked up with frightened eyes. "Are you a clan cat?" she mewed. Firestar looked the queen over before he answered. She was small and slim and would be quite attractive if she wasn't covered in scratches and bites.

"Yes," Firestar replied tentatively. "I'm Firestar, Leader of the mighty Thunderclan." He puffed out his chest, hoping he had given the right reaction. To his surprise, her face fell, just a bit.

"Well, you'll have to do. We need to come to your camp, only for a moment. Please." The queen laid her head down in exhaustion. We? Firestar thought. Who's we? Then he noticed a small kit, barely bigger than Sorreltail's new litter. Despite her size and age, she was staring challengingly at Firestar. The look in the black kit's eyes made his blood run cold.

"Okay. I see you have a young kit." Firestar did not like the idea, but he had no other choice. He helped the queen to her paws, careful not to disturb the worst of her wounds. The kit followed silently, never taking her eyes from him.

They padded on for a while. The sun slid over the treetops, illuminating the lush ferns and bracken. The mist had cleared, leaving the forest sparkling with dew. The cool wind from the moor pushed its way through the trees, making the leaves and the underbrush dance. Still, Firestar felt chilled with the kits unusually blue eyes locked on his fur. Soon camp was in sight. He knew his clan would be outraged if another cat joined the clan, but he had to let the she-cat tell her story.

"Wait here." He commanded. "I'll go ahead to announce your arrival." Firestar had no idea how to tell his clan, but the truth was always the best answer. Picking his way between the gorse tunnel, a familiar scent hit him.

"Hello, Firestar!" It was Cinderkit, Sorreltails inquisitive kit. She looked up at him with deep blue eyes that reminded him so much of Cinderpelt. His heart ached to think of Thunderclan's former medicine cat. She had died in the badger fight only 3 moons ago, leaving Thunderclan in the paws of her apprentice, Leafpool. "What did you find on the dawn patrol?"

"I'm going to announce it to the entire clan, okay? Why don't you find your mother and listen?" Firestar mewed gently. He smiled and turned toward Highleadge. He yowled for his clan to come for a clan meeting. Slowly, the clan rose sleepily from their dens. Once the last cat emerged from it's nest, Firestar began. "You all know what happened last night at the gathering. It appears Starclan does not want a certain cat in our clans. I do believe I've found here. I would like to discuss-"

"Firestar! I found someone hanging around the camp entrance! Can she stay?" Cinderkit called from the entrance. The little black kit was at her side, head tilted to one side, looking every cat over with her piercing blue eyes. Every cat stared back at the strange kit, eyes wide.

"Her mom is outside. She wants to come in. Should I let her?" Before waiting for an answer, she called into the entrance. "Come meet the clan!" Cinderkit beamed brightly as she stared at the gorse tunnel. Before Firestar could react, the she-cat came limping into the camp. Dustpelt yowled from the crowd before anyone else.

"This is the cat we're supposed to be afraid of?" His voice was not full of mockery, just plain bewilderment.

"Starclan did not say she was to be afraid of. They only sent a cloud over the moon. We do not know why." Firestar was determined to keep his clan from panicking.

"Please. I mean you all no harm. I-" The queen stumbled, only to be caught by Brambleclaw. "I am Star, and I have come from a long way. You must listen to my plea; I have nowhere left to turn." Firestar nodded her head, urging her forward. "You must take my kit."

An eerie hush fell over the crowd. "Wh-wh-what?" Thunderclan's leader was bewildered. The bond between a mother and her kit was nearly unbreakable. Why was she asking to have someone take her only kit away from her.

"I need you to take her. I know I cannot raise her the way she needs to be. I want her to grow up as a warrior, honoring others, with a stable family. Please." Star closed her eyes as though she could block out the pain.

"Why can't you stay? Your kit will need the guidance of her mother." Firestar was more offering the kit a chance than her.

"No. I must go. Take care of her." Star seemed to stand a little taller, and he could tell she was not going change her mind. She padded over to the little black kit. "My little Night, be strong. For me. For your Father. For your new home." Star bent to touch noses with her kit.

"Why, mother? Aren't you taking me with you?" Night's voice was strange and yet somewhat familiar to Firestar, and it struck his heart.

"No, dear." Star whispered. Tears welled up in the kit's eyes, but she didn't let the sobs come. "No tears, my sweet. Tears are a sign of weakness, and you are strong." She licked her ear before turning to leave. The kit tried to run after her, but Daisy came from behind her and gently stopped her with her tail. Night let the tears spill over and fall down her cheeks. No cat spoke, the only noise was the rain that had begun to fall. The ice blue eyes closed for a moment, as though to stop the flow of tears. When they opened again, they were no longer tear filled. She raised her head and stared into the sky, letting out a long, mournful wail. Night looked directly at Firestar, eyes suddenly clouded over in a determinedly stubborn look.

That was the first and only time anyone saw Night cry.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nightkit looked into the sky. The stars twinkled back as though to reassure her. It had been three moons since Star had given her up, but Nightkit still felt unsure. Her foster mother, Daisy, had tried to make her at home in the nursery, but she knew better. Some day, Star would come back with her father, whoever he was. They would take her away from the staring eyes and suspicious glares. Turning, Nightkit strode back into the nursery.

She slowly started to lick herself over, sending away the nightmares. In her dream, she had seen a faceless cat next to a sparkling pool, in need of help. But Nightkit cold never ask her what was wrong because she fell and never stopped falling. As she began to lick her chest, she noticed the little white spot on her chest. Nightkit hated it because it reminded her she was different. She wasn't able to blend in the dark for the spot. She would always be different, no matter what.

Soon dawn light filtered through the nursery roof, arousing Nightkit from her sleep. Careful not to awaken the other kits or their mothers, she stepped out into the pink light of the morning. She saw the camp just beginning to stir and slid behind her favorite hiding place. It was near highledge, but covered in ferns, so one could look out, but not in. Settling on the pile of moss she had created, she began watching the day begin. Ashfur lept from the warriors den, obviously excited about something. Brambleclaw followed a bit more slowly, with Squirrelflight at his side. They all left on the dawn patrol. Cloudtail, Sandstorm and Rainwhisker returned with the first freshkill of the day. After a long while, Nightkit left her hiding place, ready to face the day. she couldn't go back to the nursery, so Nightkit decided to practice her stalking skills in the forest. She bounded over to the small crevious that lead out of camp that she had discovered on her first ventour out into the nursery. Once in the forest, she heard some whispering in the bushes.

"It's all set." Nightkit recognised Ashfur's voice, but did not call out. A strange scent of cat hung in the air.

"Good. I've made my mark on the fox trap. Send your apprentice now, before anyone else scents me." The unknown voice chilled Nightkit's insides, and she froze. Whoever was talking with Ashfur had plans for some cat. She had heard of the dreaded fox traps, and it would be impossible for any one cat to escape. Making a wide birth from Ashfurs secret companion, she followed the strange scent deeper into the woods.

She found the strong scent of the conspirer on a silver stick, shooting from the ground. She looked it over to see if their was a way to defuse it, but it's metal jaws would still lock on the first cat that came near enough. Nightkit padded away, crouching behind a bunch of ferns, awaiting the inevitable. The sun slowly started to sink when she finally detected a rustling in the bushes. Firestar trotted out, obviously in a hurry. He muttered something that sounded like "Ashfur, Blackstar". Before Nightkit could even breathe, Ashfur pelted out behind him and shoved Firestar into the trap.

"Payback time, Squirrelflight." He cackled, and evil grin playing on the edges of hios mouth. Ashfur whipped his head around when he heard two cats approaching. He fled into the bushes. Nightkit dashed into the clearing, trying to free Firestar. He was thrashing about wildly, barely able to breath through the jaws of the trap.

"Firestar!" She gasped. "I-I'll get you out! Stop rolling around like that." The rolling decreased to a point where Nightkit could reach the metal trap. Searching desperatly to release him, she heard the two cats burst into the clearing, obviously quarreling. It was Brambleclaw and the strange cat. He looked exactly like the deputy, except the eyes. They were ice blue, like her own.

"Nightkit, get out-" Brambleclaw started. His terrified gaze rested on Firestar, who was now barely breathing. Nightkit risisted the urge to scream Ashfur's name, but knew no one would believe her. Instead, she ran of to the side, remaining in the shadows to see what would unfold.

"Go ahead. Kill him." Brambleclaws twin hissed. A malicious hatred filled the icey eyes.

"Wh-what? H-Hawkfrost! He's my leader! I can't just kill him!" Brambleclaw looked mortified. Appearently they knew eachother well.

"Tigerstar wants us to rule the forest, together. If you kill him, we can. You and me, ruling over all the clans." Hawkfrost sounded persuasive, but Nightkit knew better. She had to remain hidden. These cats could easily kill her.

Brambleclaw looked hesitant. Nightkit froze with the fear the deputy would give in. Brambleclaw was about to reply when Firestar went ridged. _He's losing a life! _Nightkit realized. _Oh, no! Brambleclaws going to give in!_ With a shrill battle cry, the little black kit threw herself onto the unfamiliar tom, clinging to his back with all her might.

"Never-" She made a slash on his shoulder. "Touch-" She paused to give his ear a sharp bite. "My-" Red ribbons of blood welled up on his neck. "CLAN!!" She released him and deashed underneath before he could react.

"Nightkit! No!!" Brambleclaw cried. Hawkfrost threw the young she-cat against a tree, knocking the wind from her.

"KILL HIM!" Hawkfrost yowled. "If you won't, I WILL!" He was about to bite down on Firestars neck when Brambleclaw hit him away. Hawkfrost stared at the deputy in shock. "Don't you want to become the greatest leader the clans have ever seen? Together we would rule!"

"No." He said with a shaky, but sure voice. "I will never join you." He leaped on him, trying to get a good bite in. The two look-a-likes rolled away toward the lake while Nightkit slowly pulled herself to her feet. She looked over at Firestar, eyes filled with a glowing pride. Ngihtkit thought he was going delirious. As quickly as she could, she raced to his side, even more desperate to free her leader before he lost another life. After looking the trap over and over again, she still could not find how to loosen the jaws.  
"No, no, no, no!" Nightkit yowled into the fading light. "Starclan help me!" A faint glimmer of light caught her eye. It wasn't the usual sunset light, but silvery and soft, like the stars. It grew brighter, as if it was walking through the forest. As it came into the clearing, Nightkit saw the light was a cat that glowed like moonlight.

The silvery she-cat smiled in an eerie sort of way, then let out a strange, but somewhat familiar mew. "Dig." She turned to leave. Before Nightkit could stop her, the mysterious she-cat disappeared into nothing. Looking down at the task at paw, noticed the trap was fixed as if it were meant to be dug up. The little kit dug as fast as she could, seeing Firestar was about to black-out again.

The metal two-leg contraption fell to the forest floor as Firestar took in a deep breath. He got to his paws shakily, but started walking towards where Brambleclaw had disappeared.

"Thank-you, Nightkit." Firestar let his green gaze fall on her, full of praise. "Stick close. Who knows how many more Riverclan cats are around."

"So the tom that looked like Brambleclaw was a Riverclan cat?" Nightkit followed obediantly, staying close.

"Yes. In fact it was his half brother. That's why Brambleclaw was so reluctant to fight him." Firestar continued through the trees slowly, but determined. Ngihtkit tried to stop shaking, but the fear and cold of twilight was to strong. Finally, they came to the lakeshore. Her first thought was that the lake was red. After a second look, she realized it was Hawkfrosts blood flowing freely to the lake. Brambleclaw's paw was stained with it.

"Never again." The deputy breathed. Firestar appearently knew what he was saying, because he crouched next to him, comforting him. Nightkit heard a gasp from behind her. She whipped around to see Squirrelflight and Leafpool and Ashfur, all looking stunned.

Nightkit's eyes locked with the gray toms, resisting the urge to throw herself on him. He had brought all of this on them, and he was not going to get away with it. The warrior had the fantest trace of a sneer on his face. She simply smiled back a devious smile, knowing the time for revenge would come soon, but for now, she could wait. _I can wait, and you will pay... _

Nightkit heard a faint whisper from Leafpool. "Before there can be peace, blood will spill blood and the lake will run red_."_ She was puzzled at first, but by the look in her eyes, Nightkit knew Leafpool must have known those words for a long time. She turned and watched the lake as it swirled red. Yes, the lake had run red. Little did anyone know what it would take to restore peace, not even the strange little black kit with a white patch on her chest.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The party of cats slowly made their way back to camp. Ashfur and Leafpool took the lead, followed by Firestar and Squirrelflight. Nightkit stayed close to Brambleclaw in the rear. The deputy walked with a defeated manner, but Nightkit was determined to keep him cheerful. Soon she was padding through the gorse tunnel. The clan was waiting anxiously for their leader, most were either outside their dens or over near Highledge, awaiting a meeting.

Sandstorm came running up behind them followed by Cloudtail, Brackenfur and Ferncloud. "Oh, your back!" Ferncloud mewed in a sigh of relief. Sandstorm went straight to Firestar, burying her face in his fur and licking the wound on his neck. Brackenfur told Brambleclaw about sending patrols out to find them when the sunhigh patrol had found a trail of blood near the lake. All Brambleclaw could do was let out a small moan that sounded like "Hawkfrost." Brackenfur understood and licked the deputy between the ears.

Daisy came running from the nursery, fur ruffled up in worry. "Nightkit! Where in Starclan's name were you?" She licked Nightkit over and over. The young she-cat was annoyed, so she pushed away, trying to escape the overly protective queen.

"Nowhere. Can I go?" Nightkit didn't wait for an answer. She started to pad away when Firestar called out to her.

"I wouldn't go too far if I were you." A twinkle in his eyes told Nightkit she wouldn't keep her current name for very long. Suddenly excited, she smiled politely and dipped her head, not wanting Firestar to think she couldn't handle being an apprentice. She remember Star telling her "Be careful with your emotions. They can be seen as weaknesses". She paced herself on her way to the apprentice den to share the news with Cinderpaw.

"Nightkit!" The gray apprentice shot from the den, bowling the younger cat over. "Where have you been? Oh, Daisy was so worried! I couldn't find you anywhere and then they started talking about a strange scent and oh, I thought you were crowfood!" Cinderpaw buried her muzzle in Nightkit's neckfur.

"It's okay Cinderpaw. It's Firestar I would be worried about. Ash-" Nightkit decided against revealing Ashfurs secret. "-Hawkfrost pushed him into a foxtrap, and I think he lost a life." Cinderpaw took a step back.

"Hawkfrost was behind this?" She gasped. "Only makes sense why Brambleclaw was there. He's his half brother, you know."

"Yeah. Hey, do you ever get lonely in the big apprentice den?" Nightkit asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Sometimes, but I've got Poppypaw and Honeypaw an..." Cinderpaws eyes widened with realization and she let out a squeal. "How do you know?" She started bouncing up and down in excitement.

Nightkit looked at the ground in mock embarrassment. "Well, Firestar didn't actually say it, but.." Her head shot up with an excited light. "I just know it. It was written all over his face and-" The last of her words were drowned out by Firestar's yowl.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highledge for a clan meeting!" Cinderpaw glanced at Nightkit and mouthed the words "Good luck" before bounding into the clearing. The kit stayed where she was, licking her fur to its natural glossy state before looking up.

"Cats of Thunderclan, you have probably heard what has happened this evening. For those of you who have not, I will simply say Hawkfrost, the Riverclan warrior, infiltrated our territory. He attempted to kill me and succeded in taking another life from me." At his words, the mass of cats seem to let out and inautible wail. "He also tried to join forces with Brambleclaw. But Brambleclaw was strong and was able to defeat him." Firestar held his head high, and Nightkit saw a thick poultice wrapped around the worst of the foxtrap's bite. "But another cat, too, when above and beyond the call of duty." His soft green gaze locked with Nightkits, sending shivers down her spine. "Nightkit, please step forward."

Slowly, she made her way through the crowd, masking her excitement. She made sure her eyes betrayed not the slightest of her emotions, like Star had taught her. Firestar bounded from Highledge, landing neatly next to her.

"Nightkit has come of age and has proven herself worthy to become an apprentice." He looked down at her warmly. "From now on, she will be known as Nightpaw. I will mentor her myself."

Nightpaw couldn't have been more surprised. Firestar is a clan leader, a very busy cat._ Why did he pick me?_ She thought to herself. _Is it because he questions my loyalty because I'm an outsider? Or does he think I proved myself and he is curious to see my improvement? Maybe he just doesn't trust me, wants to keep an eye on me. Whatever the cause, I'm going to need to try my best if I'm gonna stay on top._ All this flashed through her mind as she reached up to touch noses with the ginger tom.

* * * * *

Firestar looked down at his new apprentice in hidden wonder. Her sleek pelt glowed softly in the moonlight, taking Firestar back to the day of his apprenticeship. He remembered how Bluestar had called his name, Firepaw. The sun had broken free of it's cover, causing Firepaw's fur to glow like fire. As he stared down at this young she-cat, he so much of himself in her. A loner, an outsider, trying desperately to fit in, to be better. Firestar smiled to himself as he looked into the icy blue eyes.

A gasp from the crowd caused the Thunderclan leader to look up. A shooting star streaked across the sky, illuminating the clearing. Firestar waited for the light to leave, but it kept getting brighter and brighter, until he had to close his eyes. The ground seemed to pull away beneath him, throwing Firestar sprawling on the ground.

He slowly got to his paws. As he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar sight stood before him. No longer was he standing in the stone hollow, but in a dense fog, obscuring all features that he could recognising, with the scents of Starclan swirling around him.

"He-hello?" Leafpool's voice echoed from across the foggy clearing. "Is anybody th-there?" Before Firestar could reply, she let out a scream of agony.

"Leafpool! Stay put. I'm coming." Firestar dashed into the dense fog, following the fearscent of the Thunderclan medicine cat.

As soon as Firestar could see Leafpool, he couldn't get any closer. He called desperatly to her, but she could not here him. She stumbled and collapsed on her side, fighting for breath.

"Ahh..." Leafpool let out a low wail. Her face twisted in pain, but Firestar still could not break the barrier dividing them. "Oh, Starclan, I'm so sorry. Is this my punishment? Please-" She let out a scream.

"Leafpool!" Firestar ran to her. His daughter disappeared before he could reach her. "_Leafpool_!"

A mysterious voice rang around the clearing: "Remember the three, Firestar. They come, but the key is already here. Dangerous paths are about to cross. The forest shall fall in the Starless Night, and no cat can live without the rise of the three..." It was Yellowfang's raspy meow, yet it chilled him to the bone.

"Wait! Yellowfang! What does it mean? Who are the three? And the key?" Firestar ran, but could not find the end of the dense fog.

"The Starless Night approaches, Firestar," Yellowfang's echoed. "Dangerous path will cross and the Starless Night draws ever nearer..."

The ground churned beneath him as the fog grew bright. A flash of light sent Firestar back to reality. No time had passed. Nightkit was just beginning to walk away to be congratulated, and the clan looked perfectly normal. Shaken, Firestar scanned the crowd for Leafpool. She smiled as she joined the cats surrounding his new apprentice. As he remembered the vision, pangs of pain and fury struck his heart, and he vowed to hunt down whatever had hurt her. But his sense told him it was just a dream, and he should let it go._ But still..._

His mind started working, trying to process what he had just witnessed. The three. They could be referring to the prophecy he had learned on his quest to save Skyclan. "There will be three, kin of your kin, that will hold the power of the stars in their paws." But who was the key? Why had Yellowfang predicted a "Starless night"? And why were the paths dangerous? Why had they shown him Leafpool in pain? All of this flashed in his mind, playing with his emotions.

Firestar looked down at his peaceful and happy clan. His raging emotions calmed as he gazed down at Sandstorm. Through everything he had encountered in Thunderclan, she had stayed by his side. Heartaches filled him as he remembered his first friend in Thunderclan, Graystripe. After the Twolegs had stolen him away, Firestar had felt a hollow spot in his heart. He scanned the quickly dispersing crowd for his new apprentice. Nightpaw's eyes locked with Firestar's. Suddenly, the Thunderclan leader couldn't breathe. Finally, she broke eye contact, and Firestar drank in the cool night air. Now only one thought occupied his mind. _The Starless Night..._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nightpaw stalked through the underbrush, trying to make no noise at all. It was nearly a moon since Hawkfrost and the foxtrap and Nightpaw was progressing well. She had already mastered some hunting techniques and battle training was her personal best. She could tell Firestar was going to push her farther than the other apprentices, and she liked it. None of her denmates could understand her need for speed or thrill of the catch.

She leaped, landing neatly on the pigeons back and killed it swiftly. She dragged it to a fern-covered tree root and gently covered it with the surrounding moss. She turned to see Firestar behind her, a smile teasing playfully in his eyes.

"I would be running for my den right now if I were a mouse. Those are some dangerous claws."

"Well, you'd never make it to the den. Your too old." She bared her teeth in mock aggression and nipped playfully at his swinging tail.

"Oh, I see." Firestar sat up straighter in fake defense. "Then you wouldn't mind a little race against the _slow, old cat_, would you?"

"Just as long as you can handle losing." Nightpaw dropped into a aggressive battle stance, and swiped, claws sheathed, at her mentor.

"Done. First one to the stream and back wins." He drew a line in the dirt and crouched expertly behind it. Nightpaw followed.

"GO!" Not waiting to see if Firestar was following, Nightpaw rocketed throught the trees. She mewed in delight as she maneuvered easily through the dense underbrush. She felt the sheer speed blow back her fur and sting her face. As she pulled up to the stream, she caught a glimpse of ginger fur speeding back into the forest. Turning in mid-air, she landed and tore after Firestar. She dodged under bushes and leaped over fallen logs until she saw the clan leader pushing speedily through the ferns. She used her last burst of speed to pull ahead. As she neared the line in the dirt, Firestar leaped over the line. Nightpaw followed only two heartbeats later. They both collapsed on the ground, laughing and panting.

"Whew! Your faster than I thought!" Nightpaw mewed.

"You too. I must be a really good mentor!" He teased. Nightpaw growled and leaped on him, easily pinning the unsuspecting ginger tom beneath her.

"As I said 'Your too slow, old tom!'" Nightpaw taunted. Firestar was about to attack back when a shrill scream split the air. Both cats immediately dropped into a defensive stance. The scream came again, and Firestar's ears pricked up.

"Goldenflower!" he yowled and tore off in the direction of the screams. Nightpaw followed at his heels, fear making her heart beat faster. Soon they came to a clearing splattered with droplets of blood.

"No..." the apprentice whispered. Goldenflower's limp body lay in the center of the bloody clearing, a deep, wide gash on her side letting the blood flow freely. Firestar raced to her side, eyes wide in fear.

"Goldenflower, no! Don't go." He buried his head in her neck fur, whispering comforts as she joined Starclan.

"Tell him and his sister I love them both, oh so very much." Goldenflower rasped. Her eyes glazed over in pain and then closed, never to open again. Nightpaw stayed respectfully at the edge of the trees, unable and unwilling to move. She had not known Goldenflower well, but she remembered the stories and folklore she had told her. Nightpaw couldn't stand to stay in the clearing any longer, so she ran through the forest. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew she had to get away.

After running for what seemed like moons, she found herself on the lake shore near the Shadowclan border. She took in deep breaths of the cool air and noticed the sun sinking in the sky. As it met the horizon, it caused the lake to glow red like fire. She laid down near the waters edge, letting the breeze wash away her shock. She was about to drift into sleep when a rough voice sounded from behind her.

"What do you think your doing on the border, kit?" Nightkit rounded to see a dark brown tom glaring at her. A ginger tom and tortoiseshell she-cat crept from the bushes and stood behind him.

"I don't know about you, but I'm enjoying the sunset." She spat back. She sized up her enemies. There were three warriors, but one seemed to have recently received his name but the others were too strong for her. She had to play it nice, or she might not get out at all.

"What do you think, Rowanclaw? What right does this apprentice to our territory?" The tortoiseshell asked, eyes never leaving the young cat.

"I don't know, Tawnypelt. I don't think she had any." The ginger tom replied. Nightpaw gasped.

"Tawnypelt!" She stared at the Shadowclan warrior.

"Do I know you, kit?" She sneered.

"I'm so sorry." Nightpaw breathed. She had heard of Tawnypelt, the former Thunderclan apprentice who had joined her father in Shadowclan, but she had never come back. Her mother was Goldenflower.

"Sorry about what, scrap?" Her voice wasn't as sharp and the slightest hint of fear crept into her voice.

"It's your mother. She-" Nightpaw took a deep breath, prepareing to make a run for it. "Died this morning. I don't know what killed her, but it looked really bad. I'm really sorry." Without looking for a reaction, she tore down the waters edge. The forest was just darkening in twilight, casting shadows that seemed to chase Nightpaw. Soon she broke into camp to find Goldenflower's body in the center of the hollow. Leafpool crouched over her with many cats surrounding her.

"Badger, I would think. But why?" Leafpool murmured. Turning to Firestar, she dipped her head and he stepped forward.

"Cats of Thunderclan, Goldenflower was indeed attacked and killed by a badger. Patrols, I want to know if you find so much as a scrap of fur. Let the clan share tongues with this dedicated cat one last time. She will be laid to rest at sunrise." He stepped aside to let Brambleclaw, her son, and Mousefur, her closest friend, grieve for the lost elder.

"Why you?" Mousefur mewed gently, licking her ears. Brableclaw simply laid by her side, burying his muzzle in her side. Nightpaw watched in grim fascination as the clan slowly all shared tongues with the deceased elder. After all the others had left, only Brambleclaw and Leafpool remained at Goldenflower's cold flank. Nightpaw couldn't take the dead silence. The tears welled up, but she fought them down.

_I wasn't even close to her! Why am I feeling so distraught? _Nightpaw tried to reason her fears away, but she was never good at that. _Why, Starclan? Why? _She stared into the sky that seemed to swirl above her. When she looked back to earth, what she saw shook her. The Thunderclan hollow was covered in a fighting mass of cats. Nightpaw gasped in shock and horror as the Clan cats fought of faceless, dark shadows. She itched to jump in and save her clanmates, but her paws were frozen to the spot. She watched in horror when, one by one, her clanmates fell under the shadows that fought them.

She watched until only two cats stood. They were Leafpool and Firestar. Then the dark shadows leaped on them, pulling them to the ground. Then the adversary disappeared like dew in morning sun, leaving Nightpaw to stare at the blood-washed clearing. She looked around to see it was not just Thunderclan, but all the clans. Bodies of every clan lay in the clearing. The wiry lean figures of Windclan; the sleek, blood soaked pelts of Riverclan; the powerful shapes of Shadowclan; and her own clanmates Not only were they warrior cats, but stringy elders and newborn kits.

"No!" She breathed. _How could Starlan let this happen? Don't they care for us! _She looked into the sky to challenge them to see the stars had gone. The only light seemed to come from the earth itself.

"Trust your instincts. The three are coming, but the Starless Night draws ever nearer." A voice echoed menacingly over the silent earth. "Beware the key, for it will surely destroy..."

"What? Starless Night? What will destroy?" She called.

Suddenly, Nightpaw was flung back into reality. Thunderclan was still safe and alive with the stars twinkling from above them. The cool night air ruffled her fur and calmed her fears.

"Things are getting _way_ to weird around here." She muttered to herself. Nightpaw padded into the clearing and bent beside Goldenflower. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Her voice was softer than a whisper. Next to her, Brambleclaw was too overcome in grief to compute what was happening around him, and Leafpool was muttering words of comfort to the deputy.

She buried her muzzle deep into her flank. "I promise you, Goldenflower. I promise I will keep your clan safe. Whatever lies ahead, I will be strong. No more scardy-paws. From this day forward, I vow to give my life to this clan. Hear me and help me fight off this 'key'."

Nightpaw straightened up, and padded over to the apprentice den. Honeypaw, Cinderpaw, Berrypaw, and Mousepaw were already asleep. Poppypaw and Hazlepaw were gone on the moonhigh patrol. Nightpaw tried to curl up in her nest in the center of the den, but was to restless to sleep. She slowly made her way to the entrance. The moonlight felt cool on her fur and she laid down in the shadows, mind calming as sleep overtook her.

As she looked out into the hollow, Nightpaw remembered the vision earlier that night. "I will protect you, Thunderclan. The key will never hurt you."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Firestar looked out over the clearing, mind reeling. Goldenflower was gone, killed by a badger. He remembered how she had been so protective of her young kits, who probably would have never been truly accepted without her defending them. He would not have such a great deputy if she hadn't opened his eyes to their greatness. Now she was gone, free to hunt with Starclan.

A flash of movement from one side of the clearing caught Firestar's eye. Peaking around his dens entrance, he saw Leafpool making her way unsteadily to the warriors den. Firestar would have thought nothing of it, but then he saw her stumble, a pained look in her eyes. All of his senses told him to think nothing of it, but curiosity got the better of him. Staying out of sight, he silently leaped down from Highledge to see Leafpool better. She crept into the warriors den and reemerged with Squirrelflight supporting her. The two sisters slowly made their way towards the entrance. Birchfall was snoring slightly at the camp entrance. He supposed to be on watch. Firestar thought to himself.

Careful not to move so much as a pebble, he followed his daughters through the forest. "Come on. Leafpool. Not mush farther now." Came Squirrelflight's slightly panicked voice. Leafpool's only reply was a low moan. Soon they reached a small stream where the medicine cat fell in a heap, groaning every now and then. Firestar tried to see what was going on, but his vision was blocked by a thick bunch of trees, but he didn't dare get any closer.

The moon started to sink in the sky and the pale dawn light started to break through the forest canopy. Finally able to stand it any longer, her stealthily padded forward and peered around the trees. Firestar could barely contain the yowl that rose in his throat. Squirrelflight was bent over three tiny kits and Leafpool lay on her side nearby. "Wha-?" He couldn't stop his question. Squirrelflight rounded on him, eyes seething.

"What are you doing here?!" She hissed. Understanding filled her eyes. "Firestar!"

"Squirrelflight, what in Starclan's name is going on here?" Firestar demanded.

"Well, I-I thought, I-" She stuttered.

"I'll tell him, Squirrelflight." Leafpool mewed. Her voice was drained and tired. "Firestar, this is what it looks like. I did just have three little kits."

"But-but your a medicine cat! How could you do-" Firestar stuttered. His mind whirled with the scene before him.

"Yes, Firestar. I broke the warrior code. But I regret what I've done. But, please, Firestar, don't tell anyone. I'm giving them to Squirrelflight to raise. I want my kits to have a normal life, not be hated because of what I have done." She let her head fall back to the ground; the explanation had worn her out.

"Yes. Your secret is safe with me. It's not my business to interfere. I think I'll go." He turned to leave.

"Wait." Squirrelflight padded in front of him with a little gray kit in her jaws. "They need help getting back to camp." The leader simply nodded and took the squirming kit in his jaws. Squirrelflight lifted up the golden furred kit and helped Leafpool to her paws. The medicine cat lifted up the young black kit, but staggered under the weight. Squirrelflight stood on one side of her sister and Firestar took the other, supporting the proud mother. Together, father and daughters made their way through the falling snow back to camp.

As they entered the clearing, Birchfall was still on guard, but awake. He smiled brightly as he saw the kits and stood aside to let them by. Leafpool and Squirrelflight when straight to the nursery to prepare a nest for the kits.

Firestar sighed. How in the world was he going to be able keep such a secret, especially from Sandstorm? They were still his grandchildren, but how could he bare to know who their mother really was? He padded to his den to try to catch some sleep.

* * * * *

"Hey, sleepyfur! Wake up!" Something prodded Nightpaw's side, arousing her from a deep sleep. She turned to see Berrypaw crouching over her, paw raised to poke her again.

"I'm awake." The black apprentice replied sleepily. "This had better be good, Stumpytail." Her jaws parted in a yawn.

"Don't call me that!" Berrypaw hissed. More excitedly he added: "Squirrelflight had her kits!"

"Wow. I am sooo thrilled." She mewed sarcastically. "And you woke me up why?" Nightpaw licked her paw and dragged it over her ear in a quick wash.

"Aren't you excited?" Berrypaw meowed.

"No, not really. Their just little puffs of fur that get under your paws. If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly kit friendly material." Nightpaw stretched and padded out of the den. The camp was already up and about with the early leaf-bear sun peaking up over the treetops and snow blanketing the ground. A little curious, Nightpaw trotted over to the nursery to see the young kits. Sure enough, there was Squirrelflight curled around three healthy looking bundles of fur. One had pure golden fur, shining like the sun. Another had a rippling black pelt and the third had fur like storm clouds. He was not mewling like his brother and sister, just laying peacefully at his mother's side. Nightpaw dipped her head to one side, trying to figure out what was so different about this little kit.

"Aren't they just beautiful?" Nightpaw turned to see Leafpool standing in the entrance, mouth full of herbs.

"Yes. I think they'll grow up to be great warriors." Nightpaw replied, eyes still fixed on the gray kit. Brambleclaw barreled through the entrance and crouched by Squirrelflight, licking her ears.

"Oh, Squirrelflight, they're wonderful! I just got the news." He turned and started to lick the kits as well. Leafpool let out a_ mrrow_ of laughter when another cat came through the entrance, shaking snow from her pelt.

"Squirrelflight, you must be so proud." Sorreltail meowed, bending over the little kits. "A little scruffy looking, that one is." She commented as she poked the golden kit. He turned and sunk his tiny teeth into her paw. "Ow!" She pulled back, sending everyone into peals of laughter. "Oh sure, laugh at the one in pain." Sorreltail spat playfully at Brambleclaw who had just congratulated his 'scruffy looking' son.

Cloudtail pushed through the brambles with a plump rabbit clamped in his jaws. "I think I need to bring some more fresh-kill." He mewed as he dropped his kill in front of Squirrelflight.

"Okay, party's over, everyone. We need to let the queen sleep." Leafpool interrupted. "Shoo! Shoo!" Everyone started to leave, and Nightpaw shot one last glance at the intriguing gray kit. He seemed to feel her gaze and turned his head her way. Nightpaw felt a sense of warmth seep through her. She shook her head, puzzled.

Once outside, Nightpaw spotted Firestar leaping down from Highledge and share a quick word with Sandstorm. She made her way over, careful to avoid deeper patches of snow. "Hey! Do you want to go hunting this morning?" Firestar called.

"Sure." Nightpaw mewed as she approached him. He didn't seem quite like himself, but Nightpaw didn't ask. "Where are we going to hunt?" She asked.

"I thought near Sky oak, around the lake shore." Firestar replied. He looked steady and untroubled, but Nightpaw still wasn't convinced. As the clan leader got to his feet, she noticed a little shaking. Something had defiantly spooked him, but what?

Nightpaw followed Firestar out of camp, occasionally sniffing the air for prey scent. A shuffling of snow caught her attention, and she immediately fell into a hunting crouch. She scented the vole and pounced. Her leap was a little off balance and the vole scented her just before she landed on it. Nightpaw scuffled a bit before she was able to lock her jaws around it's neck. Firestar appeared at her side holding a mouse.

"Your hunting crouch was excellent, but be careful when you leap. Remember to shift your weight to your hind paws." He commented. Mentor and apprentice hunted until sunhigh, often pausing to demonstrate different crouches and leaps. They started back to camp, jaws laden with a bountiful hunt.

"Your doing very well, Nightpaw. In fact, your progressing faster than most of the other apprentices. I'm very pleased." Firestar commented through a mouthful of squirrel fur. Nightpaw was glad of the especially fluffy rabbit for it hid her smile of delight. She was about to reply when a rustling in the bushes stopped her in her tracks.

Dropping her catch, she hissed "Firestar!". The leader understood and came to a halt, burying his prey with dirt hastily before dropping into a crouch. The rustling came again, but from the other side of the path. Firestar twitched his ears in the direction of the lake, telling her to check over there. Obediently, she crept through the underbrush, checking for strange scents. Firestar did the same but in the opposite direction. A fresh scent of trampled ferns caught her nose, but nothing else. She turned, looking for her mentor and saw him turning back with a curious look on his face. Nightpaw shrugged, ready to go back to her dropped prey. She was about to take a step when a black shape fell from the canopy above, knocking the wind from her.

"Nightpaw!" Firestar yowled and he threw himself on the massive cat that had landed in Nightpaw. She struggled under the weight but could not knock it off. The black apprentice started seeing stars at the side of her vision when Firestar heaved the attacker off of her.

The two older cats battled hard and fast until Nightpaw could rise steadily to her paws and leap into the fray. After easily evaiding one of Nightpaws quick blows, the black cat hit both Thunderclan cats against a tree, stunning both.

"I would expect more from the Thunderclan leader and his apprentice." The cat mewed, wrapping his tail neatly over his paws.

Having regained his breath, Firestar dared ask "Who are you and how do you know who we are?"

"Ah, how silly of me. Leaping into battles before I even introduce myself. I am Shade, a traveling loner." He bent his head in a deep bow as Firestar's fur bristled.

"Loner!" The ginger tom challenged. "What business do you have here in Thunderclan territory?" A strange look filled the loner's eyes before he answered. But the look vanished as quick as it had came, and Nightpaw doubted she had even seen it.

"I'm here to get you." Shade replied simply. As Firestar's jaw dropped, he continued. "I've heard much about, Firestar, and I require your services." This time he waited for an answer.

"Me?" Firestar looked stunned. Nightpaw let her hackles rise; she did not trust him.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Nightpaw mewed menacingly.

"Your apprentice is right to have doubts. I have invaded her territory, attacked her and her leader, and now I request her leader come away to fix a problem I cannot take care of myself. I would challenge me, too, if I were in her position." The loner stood up and padded to Firestar, looking all business-like. Nightpaw was stunned by the loners extensive knowledge about clan life, but a voice still called out in the back of her mind that she knew this cat. She shook it off.

"Now I must go into more detail about my request. In my travelings, I came across a band of cats not too far from here. The band had a leader, he called himself Lightning. His 'tribe' as he called it, was suffering from an illness that was incurable to their knowledge. But one cat, Princess, said she had heard of a cat who could help them." Firestar gasped as the loner mentioned Princess. "She said she heard legends of a clan who could use herbs and signs of their ancestors to heal dreaded disease. She also said she had met one and requested of me to bring him. She wants him to cure the illness that has already taken three of her four kits and most of friends. The cat she named was you, Firestar."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Me?" Firestar couldn't believe it. The queen Princess that Shade had mentioned had to be his sister, for who else could know of the clans?

"Yes." Shade answered. "You don't have to go; you have your clan to think of." Firestar looked at his apprentice who was staring intently at Shade. How could he leave her and the rest of Thunderclan? They were his life, everything he had ever done involed them. He remembered his rescue mission to Skyclan and how he was gone for so long. When he had left, he did not know where he was going and if he'd ever return. This time he had a questionable escort and his kin to think of.

"Firestar." It was Nightpaw's voice. She was still looking at the loner, and something in her voice sounded vaugly familiar, like a voice he had heard long ago. The young she-cat stepped back from the loner, eyes clouded with question. "Who's Princess?"

"Nightpaw, Princess is my sister, Cloudtails mother." Firestar answered. To his confusion, Nightpaw turned and ran through the bushes.

"Touchy, isn't she? She reminds me of a strong headed she-cat I knew as a kit." Shade smiled, lost in memories for a moment. Turning back to Firestar, he mewed: "You have three days to reply. I'll be here on the sunset of the third day. If you don't show, I'll take it as a no and leave." As Shade turned to leave, Firestar noticed a long, deep scar running down his right flank. This cat had seen battle alright. Firestar bent down to collect his prey and started off toward camp.

Once he had taken all the prey to the fresh-kill pile, he took a small finch and padded off to his den. He lay in the moss, thinking of the past two days. First, he had watched Goldenflower die at his paws, powerless to save her. Then he witnessed the birth of his grandchildren and hear his daughter reveil her breaking of the warrior code. Now he had met a loner who had asked him to leave is clan to save another. How can I leave them? Firestar thought to himself. Thunderclan means everything to me. Sandstorm, Leafpool, Graystripe, Brambleclaw! I can't just leave them to fend for themselves in leafbear. Oh what do I do?

A movement from the entrance to his den made Firestar look up. "Firestar?" It was Sandstorm. She padded in and crouched beside him, licking his ear. Her green eyes clouded with concern when Firestar just turned away. "What's wrong?"

"Long story." Firestar mewed, shaking his head.

"Well, I've got some time. Remember what we promised? No secrets between us." Sanstorm pushed gently.

Firestar plunged into a full discription of the loner and his request. Sandstorm's face steadily fell more and more and when he mentioned Nightpaw's running, she had to look down. "I don't know what to do. I can't leave Thunderclan again, but I can't condem these cats to their doom! What do I do?" He finished.

"You'll do what you know you need to do. I cannot diside for you. When you make up your mind, you've better tell the clan. This time, explain why, or the clan won't understand." Sandstorm mewed. She stood up and left the den, leaving Firestar to make a dicision.

The sun was starting to sink over the horizon, and Firestar closed his eyes, willing sleep to come. He really needed to talk with Spottedleaf. When he opened his eyes again, he was at the lake shore with Spottedleafs sweet scent filling the air. "Spottedleaf?" Firestar called.

The beautiful she-cat appeared at his side, eyes bright. "Let me guess. You want me to help you dicide should you stay or should go." Spottedleaf mewed.

"Yeah." Firestar replied. "I can't abandon them again, but Princess needs me." He hung his head, solutions flickering in and out of his mind.

"I'm sorry to say I can't help you. Starclan cannot see into the mind of this loner, nor can we walk the skys above him. You do know once you go, Starclan cannot help you. All we do know is that this loner has said cats are in trouble. Don't pick the sensible thing, follow your heart." Spottedleaf touched her nose to his shoulder, mewing a goodbye. Firestar awoke, moonlight just beginning to fill the hollow. He knew what he had to do. He just hoped it was the right thing.

* * * * *

Nightpaw peered through the bracken, crouching low. A strange scent filled the air, and she knew she was getting close. The scent was fresh, so he was probably gone hunting somewhere. Shade wasn't going to get off easy for stealing prey in leaf bear. She followed the scent cautiously until she reached a large clump of ferns. She sniffed all around it, but the scent had disappeared. "Where is he?" She muttered to herself. She looked up to check the position of the sun, but saw two bright green eyes watching her from the tree above her.

"It's not good manners to follow someone, you know." It was Shade. "It's a good thing you make more noise than a three-footed badger." Nightpaw shuffled uncomfortably, she thought she had made as little noise as possible. "Your an odd one, you know. I don't see how such a pretty little she-cat be so antisocial."

"I'm not antisocial!" Nightpaw spat, her hackles starting to rise.

"Hey, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem." Shade leaped from the tree, white tipped paws landing squarely on the forest floor. "I suggest you just admit it if you want friends." He streched out is back, yawning lazily. "If you need me, you know where to find me." He started through the frozen bracken.

"Wait!" Nightpaw called.

"Yup, furball?" Shade turned around, green eyes nonchalant.

"I came to find you for a reason." She met his gaze, stiffening to make her point.

"Spit it out, scrap, I don't have all day. I'm a busy cat." He sounded annoyed, but when he saw Nightpaw's businessful posture, he took on a more defenceful stance.

"When you asked Firestar to leave with you, you told him he didn't have to go. I may be young, but I'm not stupid. I saw that look in your eyes. You looked as though you didn't want him to go. But the rest of your speech sounded persuasive, like you were luring him in to going. Why?" Nightpaw challenged. She wasn't even sure she had seen it, but she needed to know.

To her suprise, Shade let out a soft mrrow of laughter. "Smart you are. But there's more, young one, so much more. You've got brains, kit. Use 'em. All the information you need to solve my puzzle lies within your own clan. Good luck." With that, he spun around and leaped into the underbrush.

"What?" Nightpaw stared after him, mind in turmoil. She looked into the sky yet agin to check the position of the sun. It was sliding down the sky. Firestar had exactly one day to make up his mind. Nightpaw had less than that to find out Shade's "puzzle". "Oh, dear..."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Nightpaw let out a sigh of frustration. The sun was sinking behind the treetops, turning the frosty branches to a glowing gold. She must have asked every cat in Thunderclan if they knew a strong black tom with white tipped paws and white chest that didn't live in the clans. No one had said yes, and Firestar would have to make his decision before long. She had no idea who Shade was, so she was powerless to help her clan, like she had promised Goldenflower. A mew from behind her pulled Nightpaw from her thoughts.

"Thinking again?" It was Berrypaw. "I told you, all this alone time will make your brain go fuzzy."

"Well, at least I use my brain, you arrogent tom." She growled as she flicked his nose with her tail.

"I am not arrogent!" Berrypaw defended. "I'm better than you'll ever be." He puffed out his chest.

"Yeah, definatly not arrogent." Nightpaw mewed sarcastically. "Go drown in the lake, Stumpytail." Nightpaw stalked away, not wanting to listen to Berrypaw's pointless talk. Right now, she had more important business to attend to. Nightpaw was half way across the clearing when she heard a hunting patrol pad through the gorse barrier. First came Cloudtail, followed by Brambleclaw and Dustpelt. She was about to go on her way when she realized she hadn't asked Dustpelt about the msyterious tom. He, being a senior warrior, was likely to know a loner or two. She waited for the dusky brown warrior to lay his catch down on the freshkill pile before she approached him.

"Dustpelt?" Nightpaw asked timidly. She just realized how silly it was for the youngest apprentice to talk to the most senior warrior.

"Yes?" Dustpelt turned and looked suprised to see the little black apprentice there.

"I was wondering, do you happen to know a black loner with white paws and white chest?" She knew she sounded stupid, but she needed to know.

To her suprise, Dustpelt had a look of understanding in his eyes before he answered. "No, I don't know any loner like that." He turned sharply and left. Nightpaw felt horrible. She couldn't find out the puzzle and now Firestar was jumping onto Highledge. He was going to make his decision. As he summoned the clan, the setting sun caught his pelt, setting it alight with a firey glow. She could she why Blusestar chose to name this cat Firepaw. When the clan had gathered, the leader started to speak.

"Cats of Thunderclan, I come to you with a request. A loner came to me two sunrises ago, asking me to come help a band of cats who are dreadfully ill." At his words, many of the cats started yowling their shock and disagreement.

"I know in order to go, I will have to leave you again." He looked down at his paws, either unwilling or unable to meet his clans furious gaze.

"You mean your going to leave us in the middle of leafbear to go off on another crazy adventure?" The call was Thornclaw's.

It was Dustpelt who spoke next. "Firestar, we have kits in the nursery and many hungry mouths to feed this leafbear. Are you telling me your going to abandon us over these cats that may not even exist?"

"Has Firestar ever let us down before? I think he should go if he needs to. We are Thunderclan, we're strong enough to take on leafbear. We've got Brambleclaw to help and Leafpool to interpret signs, and we are trust worthy enough to get by this cold season!" Brackenfur called.

"Yeah, but how do we know if Firestar is even going to want to come back?" It was Ashfur's yowl. "How do we know he's not going to turn kittypet on us?" Nightpaw looked to Firestar and saw his pelt was bristling with teeth bared. Kittypet? What gave him that idea? Nightpaw thought.

"Shut your face, Ashfur." Graystripe growled. "Firestar's been a loyal Thunderclan cat. He's twice the cat you'll ever be." Nightpaw cocked her head to one side, confused.

"Wrong, Graystripe. Once a kittypet, always a kittypet." Ashfur mewed smugly. When Nightpaw looked to Firestar, she saw his eyes smoldering with rage, but he spoke with a steady voice.

"Ashfur, I give you my word, I will never turn my back on you or Thunderclan. I am your leader, but I do have to leave." He gave one last longing look over his clan. "Farewell my friends. I will return to you." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and leaped from Highledge and started toward the entrance. Nightpaw, confused, bounded after her leader.

A grab at her scruff made Nightpaw stop. "What do you think your doing?!" It was Daisy.

"I think I'm going with Firestar. He can't go alone with the mangy old peice of crowfood as his guide." Nightpaw replied quite plainly. Wriggling free, she trotted out the gorse barrier.

* * * * *

Firestar looked at the setting sun. He could feel the weak leafbear sun sending waves of warmth to his fur, but he felt chilled to the bone. He was about to leave on a journey and he still hadn't said good bye properly. A shape silently emerged from the shadows, green eyes flashing in suprise.

"I see you came. Are you ready to go?" His words seemed simple, but Firestar knew he was really asking if Firestar really wanted to go through with this.

"Nope. Which way do we go?" Firestar answered truthfully. He sensed this cat already

knew Firestar was reluctant to leave.

Shade let our a soft purr of amusment before flicking his tail towards the Windclan border. He started off through the undergrowth with Firestar behind him. They kept walking along the lakeshore untill they arrived at the fallen tree. The moon shone high in the sky. Firestar to the stars and felt a soft pelt brush his. Spottedleaf's sweet scent filled his nose as he followed Shade up to horseplace.

"I knew you would follow your heart." Firestar felt a tingling in his pelt as the scent faded, but he felt all of his past friends who lived with Starclan fall in step behind him, like they were saying farewell as he traveled up the Riverclan border.

"We'll stay at horseplace for the night. Feel free to hunt, I'll be scouting ahead just a bit while you rest." Shade mewed quietly as they reached the barn doors. Firestar padded to a small cliff that overlooked all the clan's territories. The sadness of the diparture finally caught up to him. He realized he would not see his clanmates for some time and would be on the move without trustworthy companionship. He suddenly felt very small and the stars felt far away. Fear and pain filled the ginger tom, choking him. He could barely feel his paws when he saw three shapes forming over the horizon. Firestar didn't recognise them, so he fluffed up his fur and dropped to a crouch, just in case.

"Hey, fluff-for-brains! What'cha growlin' at?" It was Graystripe. Firestar immediatly let his fur lie flat as he bounded toward his friend.

"What are you doing hear?" He purred as he recognised Sandstorm and Nightpaw at his side.

"We couldn't let you go out on your own, mousebrain!" Sandstorm shoved him playfully. Firestar looked to Nightpaw.

"Hey, I'm still your apprentice. Where ever we are, I need to train." Nightpaw mewed. "Anyways, stupid furballs need someone looking after them." She smiled at him, the first smile Firestar had seen from her in moons.

"But what about the clan? Won't they need all the warriors they can have?" Firestar asked.

Graystripe let out a purr. "You know I eat more than I catch. The clan is probably going to eat better with me gone."

Firestar purred with affection. "Let's go to the barn to get some mice. Shade says we're staying the night here."

Graystripe tipped his head to one side. "Shade?" The ginger tom remembered that the gray warrior did not know about the mysterious loner. As they trotted toward the big, red barn, Firestar quickly explained the situation and all he knew about the loner.

"So, let me get this strait. A creepy loner comes out of nowhere and asks you to go off into the unknown to save a mysterious clan, so you decide to leave us in the middle of leafbear. Your an idiot, you know that, right?" Graystripe meowed.

"But I needed to-" Firestar tried to justify himself.

"Count me in, mousebrain." He shoved his friend into Nightpaw who was stopped to inspect a pawprint.

"Why you-" Firestar threw himself onto Graystripe. The two toms tussled for awhile until Sandstorm pulled the two off each other.

"Toms." She muttered with a hint of amusment. "Let's get to some juicy mice in our belly before moonhigh, please." The three older cats were about to take off when Nightpaw cried out.

"Don't go in their!" Nightpaw yowled. "Look at these pawprints. They lead strait to the barn, not to scout ahead like Firestar said." Nightpaw tore towards the barn, tail fluffed in alarm. She would not let her leader get hurt by that mangy scrap of fur. When she got through the massive oak doors, she saw Shade sitting in wait.

"You weren't scouting ahead, you laid an ambu-" She started. He simply changed his expresion from suprised to a conspiring one. "Still haven't figured it out?" Shade smiled secretivly and flicked his tail over Nightpaw's mouth, silencing her. Just then, Firestar broke through the door with Graystripe and Sandstorm at his heels.

"Nightpaw! What was that all about?" Sandstorm looked over her shoulder as Firestar spoke, and Graystripes pelt started to bristle.

"But, I-" Nightpaw started.

"All apprentices will get a bit jumpy on their first time away from clan territory." Shade mewed easily. "I wouldn't be too rough on her. There's plenty of mice in the barn, feel free to hunt if your hungry." Shade swept his tail towards the hay, full of fresh mouse scent. He stood up and started to the wide door.

"Aren't you going to stay in here? It's awfully cold outside and the barn is warm." Sandstorm asked.

"No, thank-you. I prefere the sky to a roof." Shade answered. Sandstorm looked ready to protest, but Shade continued. "I'll be fine. Don't worry." He smiled, the first genuine smile Nightpaw had ever seen from this cat.

"Well, no use standing around. Let's get hunting!" Graystripe meowed. Soon, all the clan cats had caught and eaten their fill and laid in the soft hay to rest. As Nightpaw burrowed deeper into the yellow wall of hay, she let the warm scents surround her. Her mind started to wander, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Time to wake up, dearest." A soft voice breathed in Nightpaw's ear. As she opened her eyes, she saw the walls of the barn towering over her. She bent down to lick her fur when she realized she did not have her regular sleek fur, but the soft fluff of a kit. She looked up to see a agonizingly familiar face of her mother. A cry of distress rose in her throat, choking her reply.

"Do you remember what I told you last night?" Star mewed gently. Nightpaw shook her head, then realized she was dreaming. "Of course not, my sweet. You were so tired, you looked asleep on your paws." She purred with affection, voice still soft. "I told you we were going to meet your father today."

Nightpaw's eyes widened with shock. I can finally know who my father is! Her whiskers quivered with excitement. "Hold on a minute, precious, let me go get him." Star stood and gave her daughter a quick lick on her ear before leaving the barn. Nightpaw waited for a bit, but her curiosity overcome her. She silently padded towards the entrance, careful not to crunch on the hay. She could just make out voices from behind the door.

"Honey, she's opened her eyes! I didn't think she'd make it through the night." Star sounded thrilled. To the young black she-cat's surprise, the voice that came next was familiar.

"She should have died like the rest." It mewed. "She'll never grow properly, after that accident." Nightpaw gasped. Her father didn't believe she could live! She crept closer and peered around the door. Star stood there, facing a black cat who looked to the setting sun, leaving Nightpaw unable to make out his features.

"But- Dear, she's perfectly normal. How could you say that!" Star cried.

"Star, she fell in the lake and didn't resurface until moonhigh. She couldn't have possibly escaped without injury." The black tom growled. Nightpaw looked down at her fluffy fur to see it was still damp, as if she had fallen in water not too long ago.

"She'll be fine!" Star defended. "Anyways, she has you for a father. She'll be perfect." Her mother pushed up against her father. He pushed away, rounding on her.

"She was never meant to be! I cannot possibly father her!" Nightpaw nearly cried out with anguish. It was Shade's seething green eyes that blazed into Star's.

"Why not, Shade?" Star's mew was desperate.

"You know my heart lies with another cat, Star. This is all one big mistake!" The powerful muscles rippled under Shade's dark pelt; his claws unsheathed.

"Wherever your heart lies, she's still your kit! Sweety-" Star cried back.

"Don't call me that! " Her father yowled. "You can raise this kit, but don't expect me to help."

"But she needs a father! I can't raise her myself!" Star looked on the brink of tears, eyes glistening in the dying light.

"Then take her somewhere you can! You believe all those stories about the Clans being perfect, why don't you take her there?!" Shade turned and started to stalk away.

"Don't leave me!" Star let the tears spill over, and ran after the retreating black loner. He rounded on her, teeth bared. He stretched out his paw, claws unsheathed. It found it's mark, sending Star toppling head over heels into the barn door.

"She is no kit of mine. Now, leave me alone!" The powerful black tom raced away, leaving Nightpaw forever. A wave of fear and grief spilled over her. So this was her past. She was the daughter of two rouges and a one way love. Unable to take the quiet sobs of her mother, she ran. She didn't know where, she just knew she had to run. Breathing hard, she stumbled into a pond. Her reflection stared back at her, but now it was sleek-furred and strong, like the Nightpaw that was sleeping, far away in the real world. A voice echoed all around, cold and menacing.

"The three, the key, two paths. Dangerous paths will cross, and the Starless Night grows ever closer." It called. "The Starless Night approaches..."

Nightpaw looked to the sky, trying to find the source of the voice. "What does it all mean? Why did you bring me here? How can I stop it?" She yowled. More silently, she added: "Take me back." She whispered. "Take me back, Starclan. Oh, take me back. I have to keep my promise to Goldenflower."

The wind started to raise to a howl, shaking the trees and rippling the pond. Nightpaw stared at her reflection which had begun to change. It was Firestar, yowling something, but the wind drowned him out. The ominous voice shook around her. "Two paths shall cross, the Starless Night approaches."

"Wake up! Wake up!" A paw prodded her side, sending Nightpaw's eyes open in a snap. "Wake up!" Sandstorm called.

"I'm awake!" She yowled, scrabbling to her paws. Her fur was fluffed up in fear and her eyes searched for the enemy.

"Calm down!" It was Graystripe, still grumpy from being rudely awakened.

Sandstorm came and stood next to Nightpaw, green gaze reassuring. "Nightmares?" She asked softly. She simply nodded, eyes fixed on a point far away. Now she knew the truth, but she didn't like it. She didn't know how to continue. Her life, up to this point, had been about finding her past, and now she had discovered her past. What left was there to go on?

No. There was something else she had to do. She had to protect her clan. Nightpaw gritted her teeth. She was going to keep her promise to Goldenflower. She could not let her heart stop her from doing her duty. I will protect them. With my dying breath, I will save them. Nightpaw thought. Suddenly, she remembered the day of the vision. She had nearly forgotten it. Those faceless shadows that had destroyed her clan. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. What if they came? What would happen then?

I will not let Thunderclan die. The promise seem to come from everywhere inside of Nightpaw, resignating in her very soul. Above, in the growling light of dawn, a cat with stars tangled in her fur smiled to herself. "She'll go far, the little warrior will. She just might be the one..." Goldenflower mewed gently.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Graystripe, you great lump! Wake up, you big waist of fur!" Sandstorm cuffed the gray warrior's ears sharply.

"I _am _up. I'm not just _up _up." Graystripe grumbled. Firestar smiled inwardly. This was how most of the mornings started since they had left Thunderclan. It had been six sunsets since he had left his clan to follow Shade. The loner had left the clan cats alone, most of time. He really only talked to them to point out directions, which was mostly to follow the rising sun. Firestar felt that the loner wasn't telling him everything, either.

"Lets get moving." Firestar interrupted the squabble. "Shade said we should meet him by the stream once we've hunted."

"Good." Nightpaw stood and streched her back with a yawn. "I need to sink my claws into something."

"Then let's go." Sandstorm was already halfway through the thin wall of bracken before Graystripe, Firestar and Nightpaw could follow. Soon they all had prey for themselves, so they headed for the stream. Firestar was suprised at how well Nightpaw could hunt. When they returned to the clans, he must concider making her a warrior.

When they emerged from the small bit of woods, they found the loner waiting patiently with his tail wrapped neatly around his paws. "When you've eaten, we'll get going. As I said yesterday, we're nearing our destination. I hope your-" The loner looked straight at Firestar, green eyes laiden with mystery. "Prepared." Beside him, Firetsar heard a growl from his apprentice. He silenced her with a flick of his tail.

The group of cats, loner and clan cat, started. They followed the stream with the leafbear sun shining overhead. Firestar padded on, soft grass under his paws. The scent in the air seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it. Firestar felt strangly comforted. He knew he shouldn't be, he should be worried sick about how his clan was fairing, but a sense of utmost calm washed over him. He closed his eyes and drank in the cool air around him. Yes, things were going to be okay.

Suddenly, the feeling of peace inside him was replaced by cold dread. _Your clan is safe for now, Firestar. But there will be three, kin of your kin, will hold the power of the stars in their paws. _It had been a long time since those words were spoken to him. And now, the prophocy was nearly upon them and Firestar was in the unknown, unable to help. Firestar tried to shake the fear from his mind when Nightpaw's night of apprenticeship flashed through his mind. _Starless Night.._. How could he leave his Thunderclan with their doom hanging over them like an invisible stormcloud? But it was to late now. He had chosen the path, and now he had to deal with the consiquences.

"Starclan, watch over Thunderclan." Firestar mewed silently. "Give them courage, strength, and guidence. Please." He started the pace again, not wanting to worry the others.

* * * * *

Night had fallen, and everyone was asleep, except Firestar. He sat a little ways away, just on the woods edge. He gazed at the moon so intently, he didn't hear a cat approaching. "Worried, aren't you." Firestar jumped around, startled by Shade's sudden appearance.

"Oh, it's you." Firestar gave his shoulder a few embarrased licks before turning to face the loner. His eyes were shining with memories.

"You remind me of a cat I used to know. He was as high-strung as you were." He told the Thunderclan leader, pulling himself from the past. "Why did you come?" Shade's eyes were fixed on the moon, but his words were directed at Firestar. The question caught Firestar off guard.

"I-I don't know." He answered truthfully. "It just seemed right to go and help." Firestar, too, looked to the moon.

"And you believed me, just like that?" The black tom's voice sounded strained, but Firestar had no idea why.

"Yes, I guess I did."

Shade shook his head in frustration. "Your very trusting, you know that, right?"

Firestar had no idea where this conversation was headed, so he decided to play truthfully. "I- yes." He looked to the ground.

Shade looked away, towards where the others were asleep. He looked back, shaking his head slowly. "Things just got more complicated." He murmured. Firestar realized he probably wasn't meant to hear that. To the leader he meowed "You better get some sleep. I'll take watch for you." This wasn't a suggestion, it was a command. Shade circled down and sat with his back to Firestar. Silently, the ginger tom slipped through the thin lay out of trees and lay beside Sandstorm, mind blurry with thoughts. Soon, he slipped into a deep, untroubled sleep. He did not notice the longing look that Shade cast over his shoulder, or the pain in the loners eyes.

* * * * *

"We're almost there. Only about two more days till we reach their camp." Shade mewed to the group of clan cats behind him. He didn't sound too happy.

"You don't seem to fancy going back." Graystripe challenged aloud.

Shade half turned towards him. "No, I don't. You'll understand when we get there." It was a cool morning, and the slight tange of flowers hinted of a nearby meadow. Nightpaw breathed in the morning air. She let her troubles fade away as the gentle murmuring of the nearby river slid past. It was hard to believe that there could be any danger in the clans.

"You see that dot of red and gray in the distance?" Shade pointed his tail towards a speck in the distance. "That's our final destination."

"You mean these cat's we're helping live in a Twolegplace?" Sandstorm asked in disgust.

"Yes, Sandstorm." Shade mewed. "In Twolegplace." He rested his gaze on the ginger she-cat. Nightpaw could have sworn she saw a flash of regret in his eyes, but it was there and gone so fast, she couldn't be sure.

"Well, we'd better get going if we want to get there by tomorrow." Firestar kneaded the ground, obviously anxious now that they were so close.

"Yep. We'll make for the thicket of trees and stay there overnight before going into the Twolegplace." Shade mewed as he started down the hill.

"Wait, Shade." Graystripe looked at the loner in confution. "Won't it be faster if we cut across the feilds and stay the night in that big barn down there?"

"We will not be going anywhere _near _that barn, you hear!" The black cat's eyes were enraged in a sudden fury.

"Y-yes sir!" Graystripe looked taken aback by the sudden rage, as was Nightpaw. One thing was clear. Shade did _not_ want to go into that barn.

"Good. Shall we get going?" Shade was instantly calm again, fury gone as soon as it had come. Nightpaw heard Graystripe lean closer to Firestar and whisper: "What's his problem?" Firestar simply shrugged and continued after him. The sun soon began to set, casting a firey light on the stretch of fields ahead of them. Once they had reached the smalll thicket of trees, all cats split up to hunt. Nightpaw carefully breathed in the scents of the small woodland, sifting out a singular prey scent. As she carefully followed the thrush scent, she heard voices on the other side of the wall of ferns. It was Firestar and Shade.

"Shade, you said you traveled alot. I'm wondering, did you ever, by chance, meet a loner by the name of Ravenpaw?" Firestar asked tentitivly.

"Yeah, I've met him. Sort of jumpy like, right?" Shade returned. Nightpaw found a gap in the ferns just large enough to see out of. She saw the loner with a freshly caught rabbit at his paws; Firestar with a plump starling.

"Yeah... Is he well? I miss the little guy." Nightpaw caught a wistful flash of regret in her mentors eyes.

"I'm afraid to say the contrary." Shade mewed gravely. "Ravenpaw died about eight moons ago. I'm sorry."

Firestar looked as though he'd been hit by a Thunderpath monster. He slowly let his gaze fall, shoulders bunching like a wieght had been cast upon him. "Thank-you for telling me." He mewed quietly. The two stood up, and started back to where the others would be waiting. As she watched them go, Nightpaw saw Firestar lag a little behind. He lifted his gaze towards the sky and let out a low, mournful moan. "Why did I leave you?" He mewed quitely to the blue heavens. Shade stared at Firestar, eyes full of a mix of horror and regret.

Nightpaw quickly turned to stalk prey, not wanting to be seen. Soon she had a vole lying limply in her jaws. She bounded off to where the others sat, eating their catch. Nightpaw joined them, and soon they had all eaten their fill and had settled in for the night. Nightpaw saw Firestar cast Shade a short, wondering glance before circleing next to Sandstorm. The young black she-cat wondered just how deep Shade's news of Ravenspaw's death had cut the older cat.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Early dawn light streamed through the thin layers of trees, casting dancing shadows across the forest floor. Firestar blinked away the last grip of sleep, and stood up. His jaws parted in a huge yawn, scenting the sweet, early morning smells of morning. For a moment, Firestar thought he was back under highledge, but the strange scents reminded him he was far away from his home. He stretched each leg, then started to look around. To his surprise, Shade was still perched in a tree, deep in thought and eyes fixed on a distant point. Before Firestar could call out, Shade started to mutter something under his breath and shake his head.

"Shade?" Firestar meowed, clawing his way up the small, knarled tree. Shade whipped around, claws unsheathed. But when he saw Firestar standing there, he immediatly turned back around. "Sh-Shade?" Firestar repeated.

Shade was silent for what seemed like a moon, then spoke in a low, strained voice. "I shouldn't have brought you here." He croaked.

"Why?" Firestar cocked his head to one side, mind racing. Did this cat think he could drag him and his companions so far from their homes to tell them he couldn't do it?

Shade didn't respond for a long time. He sat, half turned towards Firestar, claws tracing a knot in the bark. Finally he raised his head, eyes full of an unexpected determination. "You chose where we go from here on out. I will simply be your guide, whichever route you chose. It's not too late to turn back."

Firestar took a step back. "T-turn back? Are you crazy?! We've gone so far; we can't go back now!" He hissed. "What would we tell the clan when we got back?" His words seemed to have stung Shade, for the black loner recoiled slightly.

"I'm going hunting. I'll back at sunhigh for your dicision." Shade mewed abruptly. Without another word, he leaped from the tree, landed silently in the grass and took off into the bushes. Firestar stayed in the tree, feeling quite puzzled. He looked down to see his friends still lying peacefully in the grass below. The sight of something familiar slowed his speeding mind, calming his senses.

The sun broke from the cover of the distant mountains, filling the hollow with dawn light. Steaks of the pale light caught in Thunderclan's leader's fur, flashing off of it like fire. Firestar felt as though he could run forever, fight off all of Lionclan, and still have the energy he felt. He knew instantly it was a message from Starclan, that they were still with him, still guiding his every pawstep. "We're going. Whatever Shade is afraid of, we can overcome, together." Firestar could feel the comforting presence of Spottedleaf at his side. He closed his eyes, drinking in the medicine cats scent.

"Yes, Firestar, we can." Spottedleaf whipered back. "You are strong. But together with friends, you are even stronger. Don't let them forget." She touched her nose to the ginger tom's. She walked to the end of the branch and into the dawn light before disappearing, swallowed up by the shining rays of the sun.

* * * * *

Nightpaw blinked in the early morning sunshine. The singing of birds overhead still didn't dispell the tension clinging to the air. The feeling of eyes watching her overwhelmed her, but she shook it off. Today was the day she found out why Shade was so edgy.

"AAYEEEK!" Graystripe let out a screech beside Nightpaw, Sandstorm on his back, her teeth in his scruff. "What in Starclan's name was that for?!" He spit, shaking off Sandstorm who was laughing hard. "Not funny!"

The pale ginger she-cat recovered enough breath to speak. "Y-yes, funn *Whoo* -y. To- *Ha ha* -tally fu- *Snort* -nny." Nightpaw smiled.

"You are a very mean cat, you know that." Graystripe growled as he gave himself a quick wash.

"Yes, I know. And you scream like a she-cat." Sandstorm giggled. Her eyes suddenly filled with fear. "Badger!" She squealed. Graystripe let out a shriek that sounded most definatly like a she-cat's, dashing for the bushes. The she-cat collapsed in hysterics, rolling on the ground in laughter. Graystripe stormed out off the bushes, tail flicking in embarrassment.

"I'm going hunting." He huffed. Nightpaw followed behind him. They all needed a good hunting before the day ahead. "Hey, Firestar! Are you coming?" Graystripe yowled over his shoulder. Only then did Nightpaw spot Firestar crouched in a tree, eyes fixed on a point far away. The ginger tom flicked his tail to shown he was coming, not moving his gaze. They three other cats disappeared into the bushes, following different prey scents. Nightpaw breathed deeply, sifting a vole scent from the others. Gliding stealthily over the ground, Nightpaw soon spotted the vole scuffiling around the base of the tree. With one pounce, she had it locked in her jaws, not a squeak escaped its mouth.

The dawn sun that had awoken her was higher in the sky when the black apprentice returned to the others. To her supprise, they were huddled together, whispering quietly. Graystripe looked concerned, Firestar frightened, and Sandstorm all out mad. "But, it couldn't be!" Graystripe hissed. "Why would he lead us back here?"

Nightpaw decided evesdropping was not ethical, so she padded out into the open, making just enough noise for them to her her approach. "I don't know," Firestar was explaining. "But I be he had- Nightpaw!" He jumped away from the others, suprised.

"What's the secret?" She asked, getting to the point. When no one answered, she continued. "Come on, guys. I know there's something up. I'm not blind." Sandstorm looked at her caompanions before answering Nightpaw.

"Shade wants to go back." She mewed finally. Nightpaw took a step back, mouth gaping. "He talked to Firestar this morning and implied he doesn't want to go into Twolegplace. I don't blame him."

"He told me it was my decision, and he would guide us. I-" Firestars voice faltered for a second. "I think we should go in anyways."

"Firestar, are you nuts?!" Sandstorm snapped. "There's obviously somehing dangerous in there, and Shade knows it." She rounded on Graystripe and Nightpaw, raging. "What do you say?" She snipped.

"Graystripe took a step back. "I'm here to protect, not decide." Nightpaw was about to agree when she felt Firestar and Sandstorms eyes boring into her fur. The final decision was hers. The pressure was on, and Nightpaw felt it thick in the air. Her decision. Should they continue or turn their backs? Suddenly Nightpaw scent Shade's stale scent in the light breeze, bringing back memories of her early kithood. She heard her mothers voice in the back of her mind: "Be strong, sweet. Don't be a coward. Even if the road is hard, the winds of fortune will fill your wings in due time." The sudden flash of her past sent a knot shooting up in her throat, chocking her. But she had to stay strong.

"I'm not a coward. I say we do this." She felt the flames of determination that had flared inside of her since she joined the clans suddenly burned brighter, filling her heart and soul. The sudden stubborness sent a flinting smile across Sandstorms face, erasing the rage.

"She'll make a fine warrior one day, Firestar." She mewed without taking her eyes from the black apprentice. A rustling in the bushes interrupted the silence. Shade emerged from the wall of green.

"I agree." The loners eyes sparkled with an emotion Nightpaw couldn't place. "Have you made your decision?" He asked. The black apprentice turned away sharply, not wanting to speak to the traitor.

"Yes. We will be going into Twolegplace." Firestar answered. Shade closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, there was no expression, just pure cold.

"Very well." He turned and started off towards the wall of brick. "Stay close. I don't want to lose any cat." As he stalked out of the thin line of trees, Nightpaw caught a glimps of a long scratch starting at the base of his ear to his hind leg. It was freshly made. Nightpaw could barely supress a gasp. Where in the world could he get such an injury with no cats anywhere near? Unless...

The four clan cats followed Shade across fields and small thickets. The sky was light, but overlayed with dull gray clouds. Rain was threatening to fall, but a mist started to roll in, instead. Nightpaw could sense something was wrong, but no danger seemed to present itself. Soon they were at the Twolegplace, Twoleg nests stretching as far as the eye could see, which wasn't very far due to the thickening fog.

Shade led them along the side of a thunderpath, ducking a little to the side every time a monster came roaring past. The sky was starting to reden when the black loner turned to his companions. "We'd better get some hunting in before the sun sets. We'll spot out some shelter then find what we can." Shade turned and ducked into the next alleyway. Soon he had found a small outcropping amid the Twoleg rubbish.

"Here?" Sandstorm wrinkled her nose. Shade nodded, looking too tired to respond.

"I'm starving. Let's get hunting!" Graystripe turned and leaped onto the wall, sticking out his tail for balace. Firestar and Sandstorm followed suit while Shade and Nightpaw turned and left the way they came. The two black cats padded along the side of the red brick Twoleg nests, silent. Soon Nightpaw spotted a lonely pidgeon picking through some Twoleg rubbish, completely unaware of the two cats. The young she-cat stalked towards the bird, then pounced. It started upward, but Nightpaw was too qick for it; she twisted in mid-air and swiped at the birds tail. She landed with the pidgeon at her paws.

"Nice catch." Shade mewed half-heartedly. Nightpaw could tell something was on his mind. Even though she had not spoken to him since her dream in horseplace, she still wondered what was going on in his mind. She dicided to break her vow of silence.

"Tell me what is going on, Shade." She demanded, rounding on him. To her suprise, Shade didn't even flinch. In fact, the mask of innocence that he had on around the others was lost.

"Figured it out, now, have you?" He asked, eyes narrowing.

"I don't really know. I do know that you are my father and that you betrayed me." Nightpaw spat. "Ever since I was a little kit I always thought my father had a very good reason for leaving me and my mother, but boy, was I wrong!"

Shade looked away, taking deep breaths. Finally he faced Nightpaw. He spoke slowly. "You do not know the half of what was going on."

"Then tell me!" Nightpaw's eyes were starting to water, but she forced the tears back down.

"Fine!" Shade yowled. In a much calmer voice, he continued. "Before I say anything else, I want you to know that I never intended for you to happen." Nightpaw was about to snap back when Shade silenced her with a flick of his tail. "I was on my own when I first saw your mother." Shade's eyes flooded with memories. "She convinced me to lead the life as a traveler. My mentor had died recently, and she knew I was weak. So I followed her on her travels. Then she told me why she asked me to go with her." His voice suddenly darkened. "She told me she was expecting kits. My kits."

"Isn't that supposed to make you happy?" Nightpaw asked carefully.

"No! I was horrified. You see, my heart already beonged to another." Nightpaw gasped, but Shade kept going. "I got scared. I ran away. But I couldn't leave forever; the guilt was eating me from the inside out. So I tracked Star down. It took me four seasons, but I found her. Turns out she had three kits, but only you survived. I blamed myself. I should have been there to help."

Nightpaw's mind went reeling. So she was an accident, her mother a wonderer, and her father a traiter. What a family tree she had. "So you decided to leave us once again. I don't care about your life before or after, but for what? What did you leave us for!" Nightpaw cried.

"Again, you do not know the half of what's going on! It's not that easy." Shade tone was suddenly hard again, all trases of emotion erased.

"Yeah, neither is being the daughter of a traitor." Shade visibly flinched, but Nightpaw didn't care. She turned and started away as the rain started to fall around her. Her stumbling eventually grew into a full out run. She wanted to run far away, away from Shade, away from Twolegplace, away from her problems. But she had nowhere to run. She stopped suddenly. She had nowhere to go. No one she needed to get back to. She was officially a wonderer, like her mother.

"No, Nightpaw!" A voice called from the swirling mist and rain. "You are not a wonderer." It was Goldenflower, stars tangled in her fur. She bounded towards her, eyes wide with fear. "You can't give up on your promise!" She pleaded.

"Oh, yeah? Watch me!" Nightpaw turned to start to walk away, taking all her rage out on the Starclan cat. "Get some other cat to do it. Anyone clanborn can do better than me!" She spat. She started into a trot, then into a gallop. She couldn't tell if she was crying or not, if she was moving or not, she just knew she needed to get away. Her tail fur got caught in the Twoleg path, sending her head first into a deep puddle. It took her a while to right herself, then Nightpaw crawled under an overhang in a Twoleg nest, letting the tears come. She turned away from the last wisps of twilight, trying hard not to think of what tomarrow would bring.

_**Dawn: Confused? Thought you'd be. Don't worry. I don't expect you to get this chapter. Just keep reading and all will be revealed in their own due time.**_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Firestar circled in his makeshift den, belly letting out a growl of hunger. The hunt had not gone well, for none of the forest cats knew how to hunt in Twolegplace. Graystripe had managed to pin down a scrawny mouse and Shade had caught a pidgin, but there was not enough to feed them properly. The fog had lifted and the rain gone, but the damp chill still hung in the air. Firestar shivered. Nightpaw had not come back last night and Shade was as mad as a badger, so he didn't ask. Sandstorm seemed to have sensed his movement, for she turned over, eyes full of concern. "You still worried about Nightpaw?" She asked in a whisper. Firestar nodded. "Don't worry, she's strong enough to take care of herself. Sure, she's pretty stubborn, but that doesn't change my opinion. She'll make a great warrior one day." Sandstorm leaned over and licked Firestar between the ears. "Now get some sleep."

He did lay down again, but he didn't sleep. He kept wondering how his apprentice was fairing. Would she be searching for them after the rain, or would she be trying to get out of Twolegplace? He had promised Star he would keep her safe, but keeping tabs on this little she-cat was like trying to catch a fish with both paws tied behind his back. He felt his mind start to grow fuzzy, and thoughts of his apprenticeship flitted through his mind. Flashes of his one of his first solo hunting patrols entered his mind. He remembered finding and fighting Yellowfang and his punishment of taking care of her. The cranky old elder reminded him of Nightpaw, strong willed and strong headed. Finally, the last wisps of sleep enclosed him, sending him to a fitful sleep.

He had not been asleep for long when a cold voice called through his dreams. "Firestar." It was Graystripes voice, but it sounded weak and horse.

"Hmm?" He rolled over and blinked in the moonhigh glow. He looked into his friend's panic stricken eyes. "What's wrong?" He scrambled to his paws as he saw at least twenty cats surrounding him, Sandstorm and Graystripe. But the numbers of the cats wasn't what shocked him. It was the fact that every single cat was wearing a kittypet collar studded with teeth and claws.

"Hello, Firestar." A cat stepped out from the crowd. The way the others shrunk away from him told Firestar that the tom was the leader of the cats. "I am Lightning. And I believe you've already met my most trusted spy." Two cats with studded collars shoved a cat into the clearing. Shade raised his head.

"You-you-" Firestar tried, but the hurt inside him stopped the words from coming out. Finally, he suppressed his pain of betrayal. "I trusted you!" He cried. "I trusted you and you betrayed us!" Beside him, Graystripe crouched with hackles raised and Sandstorm spat her fury. "I trusted you." His voice was barely a whisper.

Shade looked straight into Firestar's eyes. They were full of regret and sorrow. "I'm sorry." He breathed.

"Awe, ain't this heartstriking. Guards, take our little prisoners to their quarters. At last, I'll be the most powerful cat in the world!" Lightning meowed. He turned sharply and stalked off into the shadows. Eight tough looking cats stepped forward, studded collars catching the rays of brightening sunlight. Firestar felt hopelessly outnumbered, but he still crouched down with hackles raised. Sandstorm copied and Graystripe spit with fury. The Thunderclan leader felt reassured with his oldest friends at his side. At least he would die in companionship. Before Firestar knew what was happening, the three forest cats had leaped on the guards and the clearing was filled with hissing and spitting.

Firestar saw the swiping paw bash his head before the pain registered. He had just enough time to look into the sorrowful eyes of Shade before his world started to go dark. He staggered, swayed and then fell, and heard a soft whisper in his ear. "I'm sorry, old friend."

* * * * *

The echoing drips of water awoke Firestar, splashing his fur with cold. He slowly stirred, trying to sit up, but his muscles screamed in protest. His mind was still groggy, and at first he did not recognize the strange smell that surrounded him. Then he remembered the battle, and scrambled to his paws. _Where am I? Is Sandstorm and Graystripe here? _

"You awake?" a horse voice croaked from behind him. As Firestar spun around, he hit his head on the low ceiling of the small cave. He couldn't see anything in the darkness, but the steady breath from be him told him there was someone in there.

"He-hello?" He asked quietly.

"Hello." It was Shade. In the shadows, the figure arose, stretching his legs one by one. "Sorry 'bout that bump on your head. I had to get to you before anyone else did. They kill for fun." He yawned slightly, then came closer to Firestar. "Don't worry, your friends are here too."

"What about Nightpaw?" He asked. He had totally forgotten about the apprentice till now.

Shade was quite for a moment. Then he answered slowly, choosing his words carefully. "She's somewhere in Twolegplace, but I don't know if she's captured or not. She ran off, but it is safer if she's not with us." Shade sighed. "She might have a chance at escape."

"You seem to calm for a cat with 'no chance at escape.'" Firestar commented, looking the loner in the eye.

"Trust me, I am _not_calm." Shade mewed. "I'm just so used to having to mask my emotions. Old habits die hard, I guess." He turned and licked his shoulder fur.

"Why?" Firestar was tired of secrets. He had to know this cat, and not just that he was a loner, but where he came from, what he stood for, and why he was so secretive. "Why?" That was all he could ask. He wanted to yowl in his face, demand what his problem was, but held it in.

"Why?" Shade let out a half-hearted chuckle. "That is a very general question, Firestar."

"Stop playing around, Shade. I want to know why you led us here, where you came from, and where are you going?" Firestar felt a shiver of anticipation run down his spine as he looked the loner head on.

To his surprise, a small smile flitted across Shades face. "Oh, if only you knew." He closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "Firestar, the reason I brought you here is because Lightning told me to. I didn't want to, but I cannot refuse him. He let me live."  
"What?" Graystripe asked. He had awoken while the other two had been arguing. "What do you mean, 'let you live'?"

"Ah, I see your friend is awake. Graystripe, that is a very excellent question." Shade turned to Graystripe and then back to Firestar. "But I still cannot tell you." He turned back to the shadows of the cave, but Graystripe was faster.

"Okay, fuzz-for-brains," Graystripe shoved the loner up against the wall, claws at his neck. His golden eyes fired in fury. "If you don't tell us what in Starclan's name is going on here, I swear I'll-"

"Graystripe, release him!" Firestar yowled in a commanding voice. The gray tabby warrior let go reluctantly, eyes fixed on the loner. "We're trying to question him, not smash the life of him."

"Touchy, isn't he?" Shade mewed, rubbing his neck along his shoulders. Firestar froze for a moment. He had heard that before, some time, long ago. He shook off the feeling; it probably wasn't important. "I swear, he has a temper worse than Lightning."

"So you are affiliated with these strange cats?" Firestar asked, puzzled. When Shade nodded his head like it was common knowledge, Firestar continued. "Then why are you thrown in here too?"

"That," He mewed, "Is an excellent question." When he stopped and started to the back of the cave, Graystripe took a step forward. Shade paused, then turned around again to face them. At Firestar's side, Sandstorm stirred. She looked up, green eyes glowing in the low light.

"What's going on?" She mewed sleepily. She pulled herself to her paws, shaking the last of sleep from her mind. Twisting her head around, she mewed "Where are we?"

"Under an abandoned Twoleg nest. Don't try getting out, there's a slab of wood in the way, only movable from the outside." Shade replied, looking around at the cave. "Looks like we're somewhere in the center of this massive rat hole."

"Oh, it speaks!" Graystripe growled sarcastically. "Now we know who _somebody's_favorites are."

"Shut up." Shade growled, flashing his razor sharp claws.

"Make me!" He challenged, sounding like a little kit. Shade turned without hesitation, locking his jaws down on his the gray warrior's neck.

"NO!" Sandstorm and Firestar yowled in unison, leaping at the loner. Before he knew what hit him, Firestar felt a pain claw into his ears. Shade had struck out with his hind paws, locking them onto Firestar's head as swatting Sandstorm away with a well aimed flick of his paw. Before the two cats could right themselves, Shade released Graystripe and jumped back.

"I would like a bit more respect from you, tubby." He growled. Shade shook his head and continued to look around the den like nothing had every happened. "We're obviously near main camp, but..." His voice trailed away into an inaudible mumble.

"How did you do that?" Firestar asked, stunned. Graystripe was one of the strongest cats in the clans, if not the strongest. A loner should surely not be able to knock him off his paws in one swipe!

"Do what?" Shade asked, still looking around.

"How did you take down one of Thunderclan's strongest warriors?" Sandstorm spluttered, amazed.

"I've been training the last eight moons of my life to take down the strong. After a while, I guess it just becomes habit." Shade seemed to have found what he was looking for, for he crouched low and sniffed.

"What do you mean? Tell me!" Firestar took a step towards Shade, frightened but strong. "Tell me why we are here, what you keep hiding from us."

"Fine. You want to know the truth? Then sit down and I'll tell you." He swept his tail, motioning for the three cats to be seated. When they had settled themselves, he sat as well. "No questions till the end." Shade took a deep breath, then started. "I do know these cats. They are my friends, acquaintances, and enemies. Eight moons ago, my home was invaded by these cats. They killed my mentor then took the barn where I lived as a homestead. They would have killed me, too, if Lightning hadn't gotten to me as soon as he did. He said that he had never seen such a small cat give such a big fight. He took me in, trained me, and taught me the way of his clan. Soon I had become stronger than any cat there was, besides Lightning himself, of course. Then one day, Lightning told me why he had decided to spare me. He told me there was a group of cats, living over the mountains. I had seen them leave just a while before, but I decided to listen. He told me to find the one they call Firestar and bring him here." Shade looked down for a moment, and Sandstorm leaped on the chance to speak.

"Why?"

"Why? Because he had potential of a magnificent leader. Lightning saw that as a threat. All threats must be eliminated for the clan to survive." Shade turned away as his words sunk into Firestar's mind. He was not sent to heal cats, but to be killed by them. He had been so stupid, thinking that Shade actually cared, so stupid to think that-

"But along the way, I started to realize how stupid it was. Firestar would never do anything to hurt out clan. Lightning was wrong. Bloodclan can survive." Shade mewed.

"Bloodclan!" Graystripe, Sandstorm, and Firestar all mewed together. Before any cat could ask more questions, Shade held up his tail. Stones clattered around them, and a cat poked his head through the entrance.

"Oi! Lazy fur! 'Avin' fun down there?" The cat mewed in a strange accent. He let out a raspy cackle before continuing. "A, I just pokin' fun atcha, Shady! Lightnin' found a lil' kit wonderin' around. I met 'er just a bit ago and I don' think she's quite right in the head, if you know what I meen. She keeps mumblin' some'in about 'findin' pappy'. Ha, an' she's cute, too. I think you might actually like thisin one, Shady!" The strange cat pulled his head away for a moment, and muffled voices came from above them. "Oh, yeah... Me an' Les'll keep watch down there while you gone."

Shade squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as he explained. "That would be Jim and his brother Les. Just behave and they won't give you trouble." He opened his eyes and called out to the cats. "Coming!" He turned and stalked out of the low cave. Two cat's came in, tails swinging in unison. As far as Firestar could tell in the dim light, one had pale, spiky fur that stuck up and yellow-gray eyes shone from under the mess of fur, giving Firestar the strange feeling that they could see strait through him. The other's sandy fur was ruffled but not unkempt like the others. It had shining blue eyes that were filled with a nervous edge.

"Oi! Jim's the name, and this is my brother, Les the mess!" Jim rumbled.

"Oi." Les's accent was less apparent, and his voice was softer than his boisterous brother. He smiled sweetly and shrunk back shyly, avoiding Snadstorm's fiery green gaze.

"Any-who, we'll be you' guards until Lightnin's done talkin' to Shady." Jim looked up and around, taking in the cave. "This place wasn't anythin' like Shady described it. Than again, the poor lil' scrap probably think this place was grand compared to where he used to live." Jim chuckled.

"You mean, you knew Shade before he joined Bl-" Firestar caught himself. "Before he joined you?"

"Yes." It was Les. His voice was soft and sweet, like honey on a leaf-bear morning. "He was a rather timid fellow, nearly died of fright when our scouting party came into the barn."

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up, Mess. Scouting party?" Graystripe asked.

"Oh, I guess I'd better staurt from the beginnin'. Bloodclan was lookin' for a place to live and extend our territory, since your clans left and awl. Lightnin' took me, Fang, Cane, and Crystal to go huntin' for a new place to live, and when we found the barn ,we thought it'd be a nice place to stay the night. Unfortunately, Shade was away, and we didn't smell him till he got back from hunting, and boy, did we scare him. He was awl sniffily, I later figured out he had just buried his dead mentor, and only recently healed battle scars, so we assumed he was one of you. We tried attackin' him, but he was a strong fighter. It took all five o' us to pull him down, but..." Les looked at his paws, unable to finish.

"...But Shady took Crystal with him." Jim finished for him, eyes filled with sadness. "She was his mate, you know."

"I'm so sorry." Sandstorm gazed at Les, eyes filled with pity. "You must really miss her."

"There isn't a day go by that think of her." Tears shimmered in the corners of the toms eyes, but he blinked them back down. "But that's not the point. After we had Shade under control, Lighnin' himself told the litl' cat he had makings of a fine deputy, and possibly even leader. Lightnin' never takes apprentices himself, but he practically raised him. He told him he needed to be striped of his old name and become a true member of Bloodclan. He was great. Lighnin' had turned the timid little cat into the strongest, toughest, most skillful cat you'll eva meet." Les finished. Sandstorm, Graystripe and Firestar all stared at the strange cat.

" What was his name before this?" Sandstorm asked with a slight air of suspicion. Les looked up in surprise.

"Ravenpaw."


	12. Chapter 12

**Dawn: Sorry the Chapter took so long, mi amigos. Just so much to put in, and I had limited access to the computer.**

**Chapter 12**

"What?!" Graystripe yowled. Firestar, too, wanted to ask the ginger tom questions, but his mind was going haywire. Ravenpaw?! The shy, timid loner could_ not_ be Shade. Shade was strong, strong enough to take down Graystripe. Ravenpaw hadn't even completed his battle training! How could his quiet friend have become a deadly killer? This was impossible.

Firestar turned to his friends, trying to get some support. Graystripe looked as perplexed as he felt, but Sandstorm was quiet, looking at her paws. "Sandstorm?" He asked. She looked up, her eyes pained.

"I'll miss the squirt. He was-" Her voices faltered. "He was a good friend."

"You knew Shade?" Les asked, puzzled.

"Yes. He was a great friend of ours. Emphisis on the _was._ Now it looks like he'd rather have our teeth around his neck instead of having us around to chat." Graystripe mewed darkly. His eyes were squinted, staring at empty space.

"Yeah, well, cats change." Les sighed. He stared at the ground and flattened his ears, like an apprentice being scolded. "But no matter how tough they act, there's always got to be some good. Even in killers." Les turned away sharply, but Firestar caught a glimps of tears in the young toms eye. He didn't know what to say to the young cat. He felt sorry for Les, but again, this cat was going to lead him to his sure death. The four cats were saved from the akward silence by Jim's noisy arival.  
"'Ey, fo'est kittehs! Lightnin' wants you upside o' the cave pronto! 'E got some'ne you want to meet!" Jim bellowed down the tunnel from the surface. Les turned, then motioned for the others to follow.

Soon the cats were heading through the quickly gathering fog, paws muffled in the humid air. Les lead the way while Jim brought up the rear, slightly staggering. Firestar wondered if the cat was always that strange. If so, he and his brother were from separate worlds.

Les stopped in front of a large Twoleg nest. Jim bumped into his brother, his staggering even worse. "We stoppin' already?" Jim's words were slurred so much that Firestar had a hard time understanding him. Jim looked around himself dreamily. "What funny lookin' purple birds!" Firestar looked up in alarm, but there was not a bird in the foggy sky. "They're all fuzzy an' cute. I wish I could eat one. They look rather tasty..." His words trickled off as the cat fell to the ground, snoring loudly. Firestar and Graystripe looked at each other in surprise and slight disgust, then at Les.

"Nosy ol' brute. Probably went an' drank that funny smellin' puddle we found last night." Les mewed with an eye roll. (**Dawn: ****yeah, Jim's drunk.**) The dusty ginger tom leaned towards a hole in the wall. "Oi!" His voice took on a sudden sharpness and his strange accent.

"Whaddya want?" Growled a voice from inside. It was harsh and scraggly and made Firestar's fur crawl. The timid Bloodclan warrior jumped back a step. But he gathered his courage and tried again.

"Open the door, or I'll claw fur off!" Les yowled at the doorkeeper. The sudden harshness of Les's voice made all three forest cats jump. The door instantly swung open and a burly and scarred cat stood there, eyes disapproving.

"Watch your attitude, junior ." The cat snarled. Les passed without a glance at the doorkeeper, motioning with his tail that the Clan cats should follow him. They complied without second thought. Firestar bent down to help Graystripe lift Jim, but Les mewed over his shoulder, "Leave 'im 'ere. 'E won't be much 'elp in that state." The clan cats immediately dropped the cat and hurried next to Sandstorm. The ginger she-cat was staring at Les with her eyes narrowed in confusion. The Thunderclan leader decided to leave Sandstorm alone to think, judging how Les would here every word of there conversation.

The Twoleg nest was definitely abandoned. Bricks were missing in some parts of the wall, cobwebs hung thickly from the caved in ceilings, and the smell of rot and mold covered everything. "Charming." Graystripe mewed pleasantly. "Sure a bit musty, but it's sheltered enough." Firestar looked at his friend quizzically, but the gray warrior just shrugged. Firestar blinked, shook his head and continued after Les.

"Um, where are we going exactly?" Firestar asked. Les turned and looked at him.

"To meet Lightnin' of course!" He mewed like it was common knowledge. The Thunderclan leader's heart missed a bit.

"Lightning?" He breathed. "You mean that tough looking guy we say earlier?" Les nodded.

"Name, business, and purpose?" A voice growled from the other side of wall. Les swallowed and took a deep breath before answering.

"Westley. See Lightnin' about the prisoners." Les replied steadily.

"Westley?" Graystripe turned to Firestar, who turned to Sandstorm, who looked at Graystripe. They all shrugged, and turned back to Les.

The door quietly swung open. It was too dark for Firestar to see figures at first, but as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, "Whoa!" He breathed. There was not actually a room, but an expanse of Thunderpath muck. (**Dawn:** **Parking lot.**) But that's not what surprised Firestar. There were strips of wood and rubbish piled at the sides, making the only exit the door they just came through. Cats crowded the piles of wood, scrabbling for seats.

"What is this? An arena?" Sandstorm asked.

"Yes." Les answered quietly. "Now shut up. We're approachin' Lightnin'. Be on your best be'avior." Firestar elbowed Graystripe in the ribs before the tom could reply. Finally, the fog opened up to reveal a tall, erect shape. Firestar knew now exactly why the tom had become leader. The massive cat had powerful, broad shoulders, strong and well muscled flanks and scars to prove he had fought. The thick, black collar around his neck was studded with dog claws and teeth, and Firestar could have sworn there were some cat claws mixed with the deadly jumble. The leader's claws slid out to show sharp, curved claws. The claws themselves were powerful enough to slice through elm bark with the slightest of ease, but there were menacing dog claws fastened to them. And as if that wasn't menacing enough, there was long scar shaped like a lightning bolt over his left eye and the searing eyes themselves. One eye was golden amber, but the other was white and milky. Firestar took a step back and tried to catch his racing breath. Graystripe did the same, but Sandstorm stood her ground.

"Hello, Sandstorm. Long time, no see." Lightning mewed softly. Sandstorms tail started to twitch as it always did when she got mad. She held his gaze steadily.

"Some to you, fuzz face." She breathed steadily.

Firestar tipped his head to the side slightly, but did not dare ask what was going on out loud. "We've met." Lightning explained, never breaking eye contact with the fiery she-cat. "A while ago when where we are standing was still thriving forest. You were still a kit back then, weren't you, Sandstorm?"

"Apprentice. I remember that day well." She took a step forward. The entire arena went quiet.

"Ah, yes. Now I remember. You were mopping down by the river about some tom and decided to stroll too near to twolegplace. As I recall, you tried to take on three of Bloodclan's strongest fighters. You would have been crowfood if I hadn't shown up."

"I could've fought them off just fine. You simply interfered." Sandstorm defended. Her hackles started to raise, but she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Yes. And hedgehogs fly." Lightning growled sarcastically. He snapped his head up suddenly, causing Firestar to jump back. "Reliving past memories is not what I came here to do. Guards!" Four very tough-looking cats came forward. "I do believe our guests have someone they'd like to meet." Lightning said with a particularly nasty sneer.

The guards surrounded the Clan cats, leading them to the other side of the clearing. They rudely shoved the Thunderclan cats into the small room on the other side, and closed the door behind them. "What in blazes is going on here!" Graystripe demanded. He through himself at the door and tried to force his way through the largest of the many holes. "Answer me, you-"

He was cut off by a small mew from the back of the room. "It won't do any good, Graystripe." The clan cats swung around in surprise. A scrawny, scraggly shape emerged from the shadows, and it took Firestar some time to recognize who it was.

"Nightpaw!" Firestar smiled. Nightpaw smiled back her strange little smile.

A booming voice ringing across the stadium, cutting off whatever Nightpaw was going to say. "She-cats and toms, cats of all ages, welcome to the first annual mass training session!" Cheers erupted from the crowd. In unison, the clan cats all shrugged and went to the door, each looking through different holes. "Now, meet our host for the evening, Lightning!" More cheers. Lightning stepped from the thinning mist, fur sleeked back and smiling like he knew something everybody else didn't know.

"Thank-you, thank-you! Now, as you all know, there have been many kits grown into fighters, but very few who know how to actually how to fight! Today, I will show the basic moves of fighting." Lightning's voice thundered over the crowd, bringing even more cheers. Nightpaw suddenly dropped into a crouch, fur bristling.

"What's up?" Sandstorm mewed quietly to the apprentice.

"Take a guess at who he's gonna use to show these moves." Nightpaw hissed. The older warriors looked at each other in worry. There were far too many Bloodclan cats around for escape. "This is just one of Lightning's cruel ways of killing. Use a fighting tutorial to kill cats. One moment." Nightpaw padded up to the door and reached her paw through one of the holes. She fumbled around with something on the other side, then smiled in triumph. "Got it." The door swung open, flooding the gloomy interior with light. "Back in a flash!" She leaped though the entrance, ignoring Firestar's protests.

"What do we do now?" He asked the other two.

"Not much of a choice now, huh?" And with that, Sandstorm started out the door. Graystripe looked at Firestar and muttered "She-cats!" as they followed. They saw Nightpaw looking straight at Lightning with Sandstorm hanging a ways back. The crowd was cheering at Starclan knew what, the mist had cleared completely, and Firestar had a strange pain in the side of his head.

"Well, well. Looks like we got ourselves a volunteer." He looked as if he had planned all this, but Firestar could tell we was playing to his crowd. "Now, little ones, pay close attention. One of the best ways to take a cat down is give them a good, long scratch first, to weaken them." Lightning jabbed his head back, and a guard threw himself towards Nightpaw. The black she-cat easily side-stepped him. As the Bloodclan warrior landed, he immediately turned back and tried again. Nightpaw dodged, and so it went. The guard attacked, Nightpaw moved just in time, but never attacked back. After a while, he looked really annoyed. Nightpaw finally jumped on his back, digging her claws deep into his back. The guard, to exhausted to keep going, fell down, unable to keep the weight of the apprentice up.

"And that, kits, is how you fight somebody bigger than you." Nightpaw smirked at Lightning. The toms eyes were full of fury as he shook with rage.

"Kill them all." He growled, then stalked off towards the only exit. Firestar whipped around in fear as all of the burly, blunt looking guards charged out at them.

"Well, let's see. Twenty-four on four. Graystripe, how many can you take?" Nightpaw asked surveying the opponent.

"These guys? Maybe three." The gray tom backed into the center next to Sandstorm and Firestar.

"Firestar?" Nightpaw asked.

"Two." Firestar found it hard to swallow.

"Sandstorm?" Nightpaw asked tensely.

"Two." She breathed.

"Great. That still leaves..." Nightpaw looked up for a moment, counting in her head. "Fifteen." Nightpaw growled to herself.

"It's settled then. We're doomed." Graystripe confirmed, then threw himself onto the guards with a yowl.

"Graystripe!" Sandstorm yowled, then jumped in as well.

Nightpaw looked at Firestar and shrugged. "Not much of a choice now, is there?" The she-cat mewed, then ran screeching into the fray. "EAT MY FURY, CRETINS!"

Firestar knew the battle was hopeless. At least he would give his last five lives in battle. "FOR STARCLAN!" He yowled at the top of his voice as he dove into the mass battle.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Nightpaw raked her claws down the side of a guard, sending him sprawling. Another cat jumped on her back, weighing her down. Twisting, she managed to nip at his paws, but another cat just rammed into her. _This is hopeless. There are just too many! We'll never be able to take them all by ourselves. _Nightpaw tried to scent her friends, but there was so mush chaos, she couldn't tell who was friend or foe. She felt jaws slip around her throat, but she was too weak to fight them off. Nightpaw saw dots at the end of her vision, and she felt her senses dulling. Just when her sight started to go black, the weight was lifted off her. She took a deep, shuttering breath and looked up to see Firestar crouched in front of her, fighting off whoever tried to attack her. She struggled to her paws then took her place beside him.

"You're alive!" She cried. Graystripe and Sandstorm fell in step beside them, creating a small wall that was slowly being backed towards the piles of rubbish.

"Well, someone had to save your pelt, didn't they?" Firestar meowed back, breathing heavily. The Thunderclan cats all lashed out against the wave of cats, blocking each other and attacking as one. Nightpaw watched the front line of attackers with curiosity. She noticed that every cat was for itself. Nobody was helping each other like the clan cats. There was their weakness. If they singled one out, then they could easily overcome it, and nobody would come to its aid.

"Single one out!" Nightpaw called to her friends. "Keep attacking it till it runs, then we'll go for another!" At once, everybody whirled on one, then another. Through the screeches of battle, Nightpaw could still hear the roar of the crowd. _What's their problem? _Nightpaw could see the mass of cats in front of her starting to thin. Suddenly, Nightpaw felt a weight crash down on her back. She instantly rolled aside, but the cat jumped off, sneering. It was Lightning.

"Silly she-cat. You think you're strong enough to take me on your own?" He hissed, backing away into the shadows.

"More than ready to rip your pelt off." She spat back, preparing to leap. But the tom was too fast, and sprung forward, crushing the apprentice to the ground. Nightpaw squirmed out from under him and slashed her claws down his side. Lightning didn't even flinch as he sent his paw smashing into the apprentice. Nightpaw got shakily to her paws and launched herself at him. Lightning turned to block it, but Nightpaw went diving over him, and caught her claws straight down Lightning's back. Yowling in fury, Lightning grabbed Nightpaw by the scruff, flinging her against the wall. She smashed paw first on the molding brick with a sickening thud. When Nightpaw fell to the ground, she felt a burning pain in her paw. She couldn't put any weight on it at all. Lightning wasted no time barreling into the newly handicapped apprentice, knocking her to the ground.

"Say your prayers, kit." Lightning hissed into her ear, locking his claws on her throat. She squirmed half-heartedly, but she knew she couldn't take this mass of a cat with her wounded paw. She took a deep breath and waited for the finishing blow. Just Lightning raised his paw, a blur of black fur tackled Lightning, pulling him off the young she-cat. She stared in wonder as the cat fought Lightning, dodging his every blow. Nightpaw looked at the cat, recognizing the flashing green eyes. Those were her father's eyes.

"Shade!" Nightpaw let out a strangled cry. Her father, the cat who had ignored her for most of her life, led her friends to a sure death, had saved her life. She watched in pure shock as Shade rolled out of Lightning's way, slashing his claws deep into the attacker's side.

"Shade, what are you doing?! I am not the enemy, they are!" Lightning hissed in surprise.

Shade glared at Lightning, not speaking. Instead, he threw himself at his mentor with such force; both went toppling to the ground.

"Why do you attack me?! I taught you everything you know, and now you turn on me?" Lightning tried to persuade Shade with his gentle smile and faked kind eyes, but the loner just crouched for another attack.

"Don't give me those lies! I finally understand what you were trying to do. Use me, manipulate me, put lies in my head. I can't believe It took a kit to make me realize it." Shade breathed, then launched himself upward. Nightpaw watched in fascination as her father soared in the air, skittering to the ground behind the Bloodclan leader.

"'Ey, little she-cat!" a voice whispered urgently in her ear. Nightpaw swung around as much as her paw would let her to see a gingery tom with wide, frightened eyes. "You've got 'o come with me, righ' away." He pleaded. Nightpaw bared her teeth, but Sandstorm, Firestar and Graystripe appeared next to the cat.

"Nightpaw, please. Listen to Les. He may be our only chance at survival." Sandstorm's eyes looked scared. Nightpaw had never seen a warrior looked so frightened before.

"But what about Shade? We can't just leave without him!" Nightpaw glanced back at her father who was struggling against Lightning's power.

"GO!" Shade yowled, pushing Lightning up, trying to keep his attention.

The Bloodclan leader spun around, and saw the five cats looking back at him. "Treachery! In my own clan!" He swirled around and glared at Shade, who stood catching his breath. "_I will have your head for this, traitor!_" Lightning yowled and charged Shade. Before Nightpaw could react, Graystripe grabbed her by her scruff and started running with Sandstorm, Firestar and Les at his heels. The next while was a blur to Nightpaw. She remembered faintly stumbling on her injured paw after Les, through holes, over fences and behind mounds of Twoleg rubbish, but Nightpaw's mind was on what she had just witnessed. Shade was back there somewhere, battling to the death with a monster of a cat for her. Her father had basically just gave his life for her. Why?

Finally, Les stopped in the woods just outside the Twolegplace, panting. Nightpaw collapsed in a dazed heap, eyes staring at nothing. Sandstorm sat down beside her, eyes full of concern and sadness. She started to lick the young she-cats fear-fluffed fur down, saying nothing. Firestar and Graystripe both left to go hunting, while Les looked up at the sky, muttering something about rain and wet, and wondered off deeper into the woods. Nightpaw curled up closer to Sandstorm, shaking uncontrollably. They stayed that way until Firestar and Graystripe returned with mouthfuls of prey. Each cat took their share, leaving a squirrel for Les.

Firestar stared at the mouse he had chosen for a while before he lifted his head to speak. "What in the world happened back there?" He finally managed.

Graystripe was about to answer when Les came from the bushes. "A lot of strange things." Les pushed out a heap of large stick from the bushes. "Many things I didn't even understand." He grabbed the largest of the sticks and started up a nearby tree. He placed the stick in between two, low outstretched branches and started back down. "It's not like Shade to run off the handle like that." He grabbed another stick and headed back up. "That look in his eyes." The young cat shuddered. "It scared me."

"I still don't understand. Why would he lead us here just to save us?" Firestar looked up at the ginger tom inquisitively.

Les barely looked down as he headed back up the tree. He now had many sticks weaved together on the branches. "I have the feeling it had something to do with her." He jerked his head towards Nightpaw.

"Her?" Graystripe asked. Nightpaw looked down. She knew she would have to tell them sooner or later, but she hoped it didn't have to be so soon. "What do you mea-"  
"Graystripe." Nightpaw whispered. "Les has a point."

"He does?" Graystripe turned towards the apprentice.

"I do?" Les copied the motion.

"Yes. Shade is-" Nightpaw took a breath. "Shade is my father."

Sandstorm, Graystripe and Firestar all looked at each other in confusion. "Ravenpaw had kits?" They said at once.

Nightpaw stared at them in confusion. "Wait. Wasn't Ravenpaw that 'fraidy cat from the stories? What's he got anything to do with this?" She was totally confused.

"Umm..." Sandstorm began. "Well..."

Les looked down from the tree. He had now constructed a water tight roof with branches hanging down the side to block out wind. "Ravenpaw is Shade, Nigh'paw. And I'm the only one who doesn't seem confused on the subject." Les leaped from the tree, landing nimbly on the ground right in front of Nightpaw.

"You didn't know Ravenpaw." Sandstorm mewed forlornly. "You didn't know how much he ment to us. You couldn't be confused if you didn't know both sides."

"Excuse me, miss, but I believe you didn't know both sides of the story." Les turned to face the ginger she-cat. "You don't know what Shade was like when he joined us."

"Yeah, I think we do," Graystripe countered. "He's a sneeky little rat who thinks he can mess with his old friends." Graystripe sat down, polishing off the last of his vole.

To everybody's surprise, Les whirled on Graystripe, angry. "Oh, that's what you think of him! You obviously never seen him clearly like I did!" The young warrior glared at Graystripe, daring him to protest.

Firestar turned to the warrior. "We did not, Les. But I don't exactly call turning you backs on your friends and leading them to their deaths is exactly my idea of a good friend. Now come on, eat some food." He pushed the squirrel towards him.

Les turned away, head down. "He didn't want to." His voice was soft, but Nightpaw could tell he was struggling against something. She stood up and padded awkwardly over to him. She sat down beside him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"What do you mean, Les?" She asked softly. She felt the anger melt away from him as his shoulders relaxed, leaving him looking tired and defeated.

"When we went to attack the barn, Shade pu' up the best fight I've ever seen." Les spoke to Nightpaw, drawing from her calm feelings. "He fough' like ten warriors. I've never seen anythin' like it. But when Lightnin' came, I was sure that 'e was a goner. But Lightnin' simply walked to him and offered him a spot as ou' deputy. La'er on, he told me he didn't want to, but it seemed as an alternate for dieing. Af'er that, Shade became my friend. Every night, 'e'd make escape plans. When Lightnin' offered him the quest, he knew Shade would try to escape. He 'eld me hostage. If he didn't return in one moon with Fires'ar, Lightnin' would kill me. I told Shade to run for it. Dieing was better than staying here. But Shade kept his promise to Lightning. And now I bet he's getting the thick of it. Bravest tom I eve' knew." Les looked down at his paws. "Now I'm free, and he's going to die because I'm a coward."

The group stood there for a while, nobody moving. A crack of thunder split the sky, announcing the arrival of the rain that had been threatening to fall since that morning. Les turned towards the trees he had been working on earlier. "Everybo'y in here, please, unless you like gettin' wet."

It started to rain heavily, but all the cats were safe and dry in the makeshift shelter. One by one, each cat drifted into sleep, except for Nightpaw. She stared up at the sky, mind reeling. She didn't even notice the bits of silvery light in the trees, or the shapes of cats that they formed. She only heard the voice of one whisper into her ear as she drifted off. _"Your clan is safe for now, but evil is stirring. The darkest hour draws closer, and the Starless Night approaches..."_


	14. Chapter 14

**Dawn: Sorry 'bout the delay. Been away for a while and writing new stories. Plus, there has been plenty of writers block going around. As my friend once put it: "Writers block is when characters get fed up with all you put them through and go on strike." But, hey, if you've waited around this long to read my next chapter, you either must be really dedicated or really board. Either way, thanks for sticking with me.**

**Nightpaw: Can we get on the story and um, ME WITH A BROKEN PAW! **

**Dawn: How did you get access to my account?!?!?!?!**

**Nightpaw: No matter. But my paw hurts, bad. Can you hurry up and fix it?**

**Dawn: Fine, double Oreos this week, sheesh! **

**Nightpaw: Yay! **

**Dawn: Shut up and go back to the story. Sorry about that, folks. My characters usually do what their told as long as I bring them Oreos. I swear, that kid has too much spunk in her for her own good...**

Chapter 14

Nightpaw stretched her tired limbs, careful not to stretch her injured paw too far. The rain had subsided during the night, leaving the clearing sparkling with dew and full of fresh air. She turned to see her friends sleeping peacefully. Breathing in deeply, Nightpaw started out to do some hunting. As soon as she placed her paw on the ground, pain like searing fire ran up her leg. She recoiled, jumping back a bit. How in the world was she supposed to get all the way back to Thunderclan on this foot? _Guess I just have to tough it. _Nightpaw thought bitterly. She tried another step and this time managed a hobble. She kept trying until a voice behind her sent her into the air.

"Somethin' wrong?" It was Les. His fur was tussled from sleep. The tom had just woken up.

"What do you want?" Nightpaw growled, glaring at the young ginger cat.

Les took a step back, looking with mock hurt. "Now, why would she speak to me like that?" He smiled.

"Not in the mood, Les." Nightpaw tried to walk normally, not wanting Les to know she was hurt. As she turned to walk away, her paw gave out, sending her toppling to the ground. Les was at her side in an instant, blocking most of the fall. She looked up at him to see him smiling gently. Nightpaw turned away, exhaling sharply.

"Your hurt." Les observed.

"Thank-you, Captain Obvious. Really helpful." Nightpaw huffed.

"Your welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm." Les looked at her sceptically, then bent down to examine the paw. He laid his paw on hers, softly probing the wound. "Ow, ow, ow!" Nightpaw pulled her paw away, wincing in pain. "That hurt." She pouted.

"I could tell. Now let me see. I'm no healer, but I'd say you've cracked the bone clean in half." Nightpaw jerked her head back in surprise and shock at Les's observation. "I don't know anythin' about healing it, but I do know someone who might. Si' tight for a moment. I'll be righ' back." Nightpaw sat down as Les trotted towards the trees. She watched is retreating frame as it slid into the undergrowth. Suddenly craving his company, she sighed softly, then shook herself slightly. Whatever she was feeling would pass. _But he's so sweet... Nightpaw, get a hold of yourself, silly she-cat. He's simply wants to make sure everyone is fit to travel, that's all. _

The sun started to slid above the distant mountains before Les returned with a strange she-cat following him. "Hello!" Called the new comer with just the slightest hint of the same accent that Les had. She had dark brown fur with small wisps of white and black and bright green eyes. Her lithe frame moved in a small, trotting gate and her smile was truly genuine. Nightpaw could detect a slight scent of wild flowers and honey when she approached her. "My name is Rochelle. I call these woods my home, but I travel often. I only come here during the cold leaf-bare when the snow and ice make hard goings. How 'bout you?" Rochelle cocked her head to one side, inviting Nightpaw to give her side of the story.

"I-" Nightpaw shook her head, getting her bearings. "I'm Nightpaw. I live with Thunderclan, still an apprentice. I never really travel around much, but this is an exception. Those sleeping lumps are also of Thunderclan, all full-fledged warriors." She nodded to the side to show where the others were. "Except him." She pointed to Firestar with her tail. "He's our leader."

"Do I hint a note of jealousy in your voice?" Rochelle teased.

"Maybe. If I wasn't away from the clan, I'd be a warrior by now, and they wouldn't have to treat me like a defenseless little kit." Nightpaw looked down.

"Old cats are like that, I guess." Rochelle sat down next to Nightpaw, staring up at the sky. "I have always found the sky is always a bit more interesting than the forest floor." She mewed softly. "It changes from day to night and never stops. It reminds me of days gone by and days to come." She looked back at Nightpaw. "Climb high, climb far, your goal the sky, your aim a star." She smiled an odd little half smile. Nightpaw began to like this quirky she-cat. "Now, Les tells me you have a paw that needs a fixing up. What's hurt?"

Nightpaw shot Les a whithering look. Before she could refuse her help, Les answered for her. "I think she broke 'er paw. Can you fix it?" Nightpaw's gaze intensified. "Sorry, but you've go' to get home." He gave a non-committal glance to Nightpaw, rolling his eyes slightly.

"Sure! Let's see here." Rochelle gently rubbed her paw up and down Nightpaw's injured leg, ignoring Nightpaw's frequent winces. "Here, tell me when it hurts real bad, 'k?" Nightpaw nodded, bracing herself. Rochelle softly pushed her paw up her lower leg, bit by bit.

"Owowowow, that's where!" Nightpaw jumped back, neck fur bristling. Rochelle closed her eyes and shook her head with a smile. She probed Nightpaw's leg again, locating the break. Her face sighed with relief. "What, what's wrong?"

Rochelle opened her eyes. "Your leg bone is snapped directly in half with no shards missing, but some muscle tissue is ripped." When she saw both Les and Nightpaw giving her strange looks, Rochelle laughed. "Her bone is cut like this-" She sliced her paw horizontally in the air for emphasis. "It'll heal quickly, but your muscles will take a while to get it together. I'll get it bandaged up and you'll be up and hunting in about nine, ten day. Whoever's your enemy, he sure knows how to take a cat down hard."

"Ten days!?!?" Nightpaw stepped back. "Ten days is a long time! Can it heal any faster?" Nightpaw looked from Rochelle to Les in desperation. Rochelle shook her head and turned.

"I'll go get some supplies to make a splint, but you don't need to worry. I'm sure you can be on your way in a week or so." Rochelle gave Nightpaw a sweet smile and turned back into the bushes. When Nightpaw was sure she was gone, she looked at Les.

"Well, ain't she just peachy?" Nightpaw growled. Les gave an obnoxiously huge smile, then winked. This won a smile from Nightpaw. After a few moments of comfortable silence, Rochelle poked her head from the side of a tree.

"Place your paw out like this, all stiff and straight-like, so I can get started." The dark brown she-cat pulled some cobwebs and started adding some herbs into the mixture. Nightpaw complied, resisting the urge to yelp when Rochelle fitted the first part of the splint to her paw. When the cast was just finished, a growl from behind her sent shivers up her back. Whatever it was, it wasn't feline.

"Rochelle?" Les's voice was barely a whisper, ragged and scared. "Look up, real slowly." The she-cat replied, moving very slowly. Her eyes grew huge, and her fur started to quiver.

"What? What is it!?" Nightpaw hissed in a low voice. When neither Rochelle or Les responded, Nightpaw slowly turned around. A yowl of fear caught in her throat, threatening to break loose. Barely two fox-lengths away, the biggest badger Nightpaw had ever seen was clawing up the dirt, daring a cat to make a move with it's beady black eyes. It's powerful claws could easily tear straight through a cat; it's jaws adorned with small sharp teeth could do the same feat and then some. Slowly, ever so slowly, the two she-cats tried to work their way towards the trees, Les already starting up one. Then pandemonium took hold of the clearing. The badger leaped for Rochelle, who easily side stepped, rolling away and clawing up the nearest tree. Nightpaw wasn't too far behind, but her splinted paw couldn't climb worth beans. She desperately clawed at the tree as the badger charged again. She jumped with all her might, but didn't grab for a branch. Instead, she tumbled down, getting ready to spring off the badgers back to get even higher leverage.

Her hind paws never hit the target. Gravity just didn't seem to work as fast as it should, because the badger had time to roll to the side. But it didn't go for Nightpaw, but for the stand of trees where the others were still sleeping. Without thinking, she tore after the badger, ignoring the pain in every step. "WAKE UP! BADGER!" Nightpaw screamed, leaping at the badger. Satisfaction sent a bolt of energy to her as she felt her claws rake down the badger's back. Keeping her hind paws in place, her front ones beat mercilessly on it's head, splint and all. The badger let out a furious roar, shaking his head to get rid of her. By now, Firestar and the others were out of the den, ready for battle. Graystripe lunged for the badger, hind paws churning up the grass where he stood.

"It's giving in! Leave it room to escape!" Came Rochelle's firm mew. Nightpaw almost would have smiled at the look on Firestar's face of surprise at Rochelle's appearance, but she was too busy avoiding getting her head ripped off. The badger started to blunder away, sending Nightpaw rolling in front of it. The badger scooped her up in it's jaws and sped out of there at top speed. Nightpaw let out a yowl when she realized that the badger was taking her away.

"Let me go, you over-grown rat!" She shrieked. After some struggling, she was able to free herself. The badger tossed her into a pond and tore away, nursing it's wounds. Nightpaw felt the icy cold water suck her down, so she paddled upward like she did so many times before in the lake. But the surface wasn't getting any closer. In fact, it was slipping away! Nightpaw struggled to reach the surface, but it just kept getting farther and farther away. _My splint must be weighing me down!_Nightpaw thrashed about like a fish on a hook, but soon her vision went tunnel._Is this seriously how I'm going to die? At the bottom of a pond? Starclan, if you can hear me, make Firestar tell Thunderclan that I died by saving everybody from a badger. That would be more heroic than this._Nightpaw was about to give into the pounding shriek of her lungs when a muffled splash interrupted her thoughts. A shape was swimming towards her, light blue eyes full of determination. Her vision faded to black just as the cat reached her, pulling her towards the surface.

**Dawn: How'd you like it? If you did, click review and tell me about it. If you didn't, still click review and tell my what you didn't like about it. If you can't decide, click review and tell me about your last experience with talking sea cucumbers. Keep reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Who are you and why did you tell us to back off?!" Firestar demanded, rage boiling inside of him. The brown she-cat didn't even flinch, though she stared desperately where the badger had gone with Les on its heels. Images of Goldenflower lying in the field back at Thunderclan raced through his mind, blinding his usually calm thinking. He couldn't let Nightpaw end up like her, never. But now, now it was too late.

The she-cat straitened, shaking her shoulders. "We have to go after them. Les is most likely to get both of them killed," She started forward, but turned when she got to the bushes. "Well, aren't you coming?" She asked.

Firestar looked over at Graystripe and Sandstorm who waited for instructions. He hesitated. "Yes." He finally complied. He ran forward into the bushes.

"It's Rochelle, by the way." Rochelle mewed, ducking beneath a particularly low branch. The four followed the scent trail of the badger for a while, trying not to lose it in the gathering mist. It was hard, for the badger often doubled back, making false trails that went on for tree-lengths. After nearly an hour of searching, the group came to a line of gray, gnarled trees. Rochelle fell back on her haunches, exhaling sharply. "Oh, it's pointless!" She cried, clawing at the dirt in front of her. "I'll never see little Les again!"

Sandstorm sat down next to Rochelle. "It's okay," She tried to sound convincing, but Firestar could tell she was just as hopeless. "We'll find them."

"Did you see all the blood in the clearing up there?" Rochelle pointed her tail to the meadow ahead of them. "There was obviously a bloody meal up there not too long ago." Sure enough, there was the signs of struggled and death.

The group stayed there a long time, no one daring to move. Finally, Graystripe's hoarse mew broke the silence. "Can we leave?" He asked. Firestar nodded and started back the way they came.

"We should be on our way home now. Rochelle, can you lead us to the barn on the edge of the woods? I think I can get us home from there." Firestar tried to sound like he hadn't just lost his apprentice, but miserably failed. Rochelle nodded and started a different way from when they came. They trekked on for a while, each in their own thoughts. All Firestar could start to comprehend was that the little kit who he had adopted into the clans had just left him. No more races in the woods, no more playful teasing, no more hunting trips together. The realization stabbed through him like icy cold claws. Nightpaw would never earn her warrior name. Firestar felt as if a part of him had just died.

* * * * *

Nightpaw blinked open her eyes to see a soft, leafy canopy overhead and a warm breeze gently tugging at her fur. She raised her head and heard the twittering of birds high in the trees. "You're awake!" Les's voice sounded slightly muffled, but excited. She turned to see him pushing through the dense underbrush, blue eyes shining with excitement. "I was just off seeing if everyone was okay, but no one was in the clearing." He tilted his head with concern. "I told them to wait there, but I don't think they heard. Either that or Rochelle told them I was going insane. She never thinks I can do anything." He padded up by her side, now truly concerned. "How are you?"

Nightpaw blinked, caught off guard, but then answered slowly, "My paw still hurts, but not as much. I think I can walk on it now." She stood up and then took a step. To her complete surprise, it barely hurt when it touched the ground. Sure, the dull throbbing was still there, but Nightpaw could live with it. "It's okay!" She squealed. She would be able to keep up with Les now, actually help instead of being helped.

"What about your ear?" Les asked, slightly less worried but a bit more on edge. Now it was Nightpaw's turn to be confused. _My ear?_She padded over to the pond and peered at her reflection. Nightpaw gasped slightly. The top part of her left ear was completely torn off; leaving a jagged tear with small cuts that would become scars in time. She flicked it. The cat in the reflection flicked it. Nightpaw turned back to Les.

"The badger did this?" When Les nodded, Nightpaw looked down at the grass for a moment. She brought up her head and stared Les in the eye. "How long was I out?" She asked slowly.

"Almost a day." He pointed to the sun. It was sun high, the day after the attack.

"Let's go to the barn." Nightpaw demanded. "If Firestar was going to wait for me, it would be there." Les's back stiffened. "Come on, scardy-mouse! Let's go!" She started through the woods, not waiting for Les to follow. When she heard his foot falls behind her, she smiled and quickened her pace. Les pulled ahead of her.

"You're going to have to go faster if you want to beat me, slow poke." He teased.

"Oh, it's on." Nightpaw put into nearly full gear, holding back her full speed to give Les a chance. But Les matched her step for step, so she went top speed. Les followed. When Nightpaw could see blue skies though the stand of trees ahead of her, she searched deep inside of her for her true speed. Retracting her claws, she practically flew through the bushes, a blur to all else. Nightpaw couldn't wait to see Les's surprised face, but then she saw an orange blur shoot forward, tumbling into the field.

Gasping and panting, Nightpaw could only stare at Les. "How?" She asked breathlessly. Les smiled as he rolled to his paws.

"You'll be surprised what this cat can do," He mewed slyly. Growling, Nightpaw jumped on his back, tumbling him to the ground. She pinned him beneath her, snapping at his ear playfully.

"Who's the slow poke now, huh?" She growled. Les surged upward, throwing Nightpaw to the turf.

"Still you." He meowed, matter-of-fact-like.

"Hee hee, giggle giggle." Nightpaw mewed, draining the emotion from her voice. "Now let me up." Les did so, a smirk planted on his face. "Let's get to the barn." She started to the red building in the distance. Les, all playfulness gone from his demeanor, started after her tentatively.

* * * * *

Firestar finally broke cover from the trees. In front of the small, solemn group towered a rickety old barn, now unused by the Twolegs. "We'd better stay here for the night, guys," Sandstorm mewed, pointing her tail towards the red mass. Twilight had come and gone, leaving the shadows to roam as they pleased. Firestar and Rochelle nodded, starting towards the barn. Graystripe stopped, hackles raised.

"Unfriendly, right behind us!" He hissed, spinning around. The group followed suit, eyes raking the trees. A black shape strode out, favoring his right front paw slightly. All cats including the intruder crouched, preparing to leap, but not daring before the others.

Rochelle straightened slightly, pulling her head back. "Could it be....?" She murmured, and then sprung forward. "Shade! You're alive!" Rochelle cried, pressing her nose to the cat's forehead. "From what Les said, it sounded like you had died." She took a step back, allowing the cat to rise. It was indeed Shade, or Ravenpaw, but something was different. He wasn't as guarded, and he seemed slightly less... proud.

"Barely." Ravenpaw mewed. "I had to run for it, but I don't think Bloodclan will be the same for a while yet." He straightened as he spoke, still not putting weight on one paw. "Firestar!" Ravenpaw took a step back as he noticed the other cats. He turned to Rochelle. "How did you get mixed up with these cats?" He asked.

"Les wanted me to tend to one of his friends paws, so I thought I could help." Rochelle's voice fell at the end as she stared at the ground.

"Speaking' of the devil, where is the little kit? I don't see him here." Ravenpaw looked at Firestar.

He avoided his gaze in an attempt to keep his wits about him. "Gone," He mewed softly, still avoiding his eyes. Ravenpaw stepped back.

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Ravenpaw demanded, going on the defensive.

Rochelle put herself between the toms. "There was a big badger, trust my when I say huge, and a sweet little she-cat got picked up and out of there, Les followed. We tried to find them, but all we could find was a bloody clearing and an end of the line." Rochelle, too, looked down. When Firestar saw Ravenpaw look around Rochelle, he realized he was counting heads.

"Firestar?" He whispered.

"Yes," Firestar could very well guess what was coming.

"Where is Nightpaw?" Ravenpaw breathed. Firestar shook his head. Now it was Ravenpaw's turn to stare at the ground. "No.... Star, what have I done now..." He straightened. "Firestar, will you allow me to accompany you on your way to the clans?"

"Sure." And that's all that was said the rest of the night except for a few instructions on where to hunt. Firestar stared up at the moon, feeling that hollow pit from before grip him. He could only imagine what Ravenpaw was feeling. He ignored his daughter for most of her life, then come and takes her away from everything she'd ever known and eventually to her death. Firestar shook of the images that flashed through his mind of Squirrelflight or Leafpool lying cold in the sandy lake shore, Sandstorm's mangled body thrown in a clearing, one of his new grandchildren lost in a winter storm.

He shook his head and calmed himself into sleep. Gradually, the weight of the day pulled Firestar into sleep, but not before a voice echoed somewhere in the back of his mind, _the three, the key, two paths. It's not over yet, Firestar. There is still so much more to come... The Starless Night approaches..._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Nightpaw blinked and yawned, stretching her claws out on the soft turf. It turned out that Les and she couldn't make it to the barn last night, so they crashed out in the open. Now the two were supposed to meet up with Firestar and the others at the barn. She stalked up to Les and nudged his side. "Hey, sleeping not-so-beauty," She growled.

Les started and leaped to his paws, teeth in a snarl. He looked around wildly, then saw Nightpaw stifling a giggle. "Not funny." He huffed. "Come on, we don't want the others leaving withou' us." He ruffled his fur so it laid straight, then took a few steps forward. "Let's go!" Breathing in the morning air deeply, he took a flying leap towards the barn. Nightpaw followed suit, enjoying the flow of wind through her fur. She felt as if she could outrun anybody or anything with ease. She looked over to see Les staring ahead, blue eyes seeming thoughtful. His muscles rippled powerfully under his fur, his soundless footsteps sending up little flurries of dust. Her gaze shifted to the sky. She remembered Rochelle's words of advise, telling her that the sky was only a starting point. At the moment, gray clouds were swirling high overhead, heavy with rain. A storm was coming. Finally, the red building was only a small ways ahead of them. Nightpaw added some extra speed and was in there in a minute. She skidded to a halt in front of the door, ready to yowl her arrival.

No one was there.

"Hello?" Nightpaw dropped her cool expression and poked her head inside.

No one was there.

"Anybody home?" She peeked behind the bales of hay, panic beginning to blossom inside of her.

No one was there.

"Where are you!?" Her cry echoed off the walls and came back to her. Now she was really worried. Lifting her head, she tried to scent the clans. The stale scent revealed that no one was there, or had been for several hours. She bolted outside to find Les trotting up to the entrance. "There not here!" Nightpaw cried.

Les's nervous expression turned panicked. "Wh-what?!" Les did a quick three-sixty to confirm Nightpaw's claim. "But-"

"Come on! They must've just left without us. Let's follow their scent trail for a while." Nightpaw was not to be discouraged too easily. As long as the storm stayed at bay for long enough, then they had a chance at tracking their friends. As long as the storm stayed away...

* * *

"Then wha' are we sitting around for! Let's go!" Les started to follow the fading scent trail through the grass and over a hill to beyond.

Firestar was itching to run, but had to resist the urge. Though he tried to hide it, it was obvious Ravenpaw was hurt badly, and Firestar didn't want to leave the tom behind. He was one of the few cats who could get them home, and Firestar couldn't wait to see his family again. It had been over a moon since he set out on his journey. He glanced up at the sun, only to see the swirling dark clouds. A storm was on the way. And it didn't help with Ravenpaw constantly looking over his shoulder.

"Will you quit doing that?" Firestar asked.

"I just wanted to make sure no one is following us," came Ravenpaw's innocent reply.

"Not in this weather." Firestar motioned to the sky. "I say we find shelter in a bit."

"Well, it won't do us much good if were caught up in a storm," Rochelle called over the rising wind. "This one is going to be a biggie. I can tell."

"Come on, the storm won't break until after sunset, at best," Graystripe meowed. "We could cover so much more ground if we just take shelter at dusk." This won him a disapproving glare from Rochelle.

"Oh, have you ever been caught out in one of these prairie storms before?" The she-cat scanned the surroundings as she spoke. "Obviously not, if your taking this so lightly."

Sandstorm, ever the peacemaker, joined the argument. "What could be so different about a forest storm and a prairie storm?"

"In the forest, you've got some trees to slow down the winds, and plenty of undergrowth to hide in." Rochelle started towards a small clump of bushes. "Out on the grassland, you've got no protection from the elements. I've seen whirlwinds strong enough to pick a cat up and throw him to the mountains and back. And if the wind don't getcha, then the lightning will."

This seemed to get Graystripe's attention. "Lightning?" he whispered.

"Yup! The stuff usually likes hitting the tallest things around, so in the woods you won't be much of a target. But out on the prairie, there's nuthin' but you and the grass, and last I checked, you're much taller than grass." The group had reached the bushes, and Rochelle started to dig out a small indentation under the leafy reaches.

"Wait, won't the lightning strike the bush?" Graystripe asked incredulously.

Rochelle rolled her eyes. "That's the point, fuzz-for-brains. Lightning hits the bush, not us. Then the electrical charge runs through the bush, not any of us. Now, would someone be a doll and fetch me a bit of loose wire from that fence over there?"

Firestar volunteered, grateful to leave the bickering few behind. Rochelle sure seemed to know a lot about living in different terrain. If the Clan cats listened well, the could pick up a thing or two from that she-cat. Once at the fence, he found a loose piece of wire from the mesh. Through Firestar had no idea what Rochelle was up to, he trusted her to keep them safe.

He stopped dead in his tracks. He trusted her. Firestar barely knew the she-cat, but he trusted his life into her hands. He felt his mind pulled back to the night, several days into his journey, when Shade had confronted him at moonrise. Shade had been staring at the moon, and asked Firestar why he had come. _"Your very trusting, you know that, right?"_ For some odd reason, Shade had then murmured about that making things more complicated. Why?

"Yo, Mr. Space-out!" Rochelle called. "I need that wire." Her voice jolted Firestar back to the present. He shook his head and watched in muted silence as Rochelle fit the make-shift lightning rod onto the bush's highest branch. Even after everyone had settled down under the bush, Firestar remained outside, staring at the horizon. To everyone else, he looked calm and peaceful, but his mind was a raging storm of thoughts that just circled in loops.

_What was my purpose for coming here, Starclan, if I just lost my apprentice? What can I do? Is this just another test of yours? If so, why the loss of another cats life? She was so young. I had so much to teach her..._

"Thinking?" Ravenpaw's voice suddenly jerked Firestar from his thoughts.

"Ravenpaw." Firestar still didn't know if he could trust the loner, after leading him and his friends into a death trap. But he had also saved them from it. Which was the real cat?

"Yes, I am. And you are Firestar. Now that we have that established, would you like to share what's going on in that little head of yours?" Ravenpaw asked.

Firestar hesitated. He wasn't ready to confront his fears aloud. "I- I don't know. Why would Starclan take me here just to get my apprentice and a young cat killed and leave a total clan in ruins? It just doesn't seem right."

Ravenpaw let out a chuckle. "You obviously don't know what it was like before you came." When Firestar gave him a quizzical look, Ravenpaw just shook his head. "Lightning wasn't a leader. He was a dictator. And I believed in him for the longest time, until he sent me to get you," he sighed. Firestar looked at his old friend and motioned back to the bush. The prairie winds began to pick up, and the distant rumble of thunder could be heard. The two headed back and hunkered down to await the storm.


	17. Chapter 17

**Dawn: Sorry it took so long! And sorry 'bout all the *'s, folks. It just has a lot of point of view switcheroos. Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 17

The storm broke into a wild fury like Nightpaw had never seen before. The winds had picked up and splattered the rain against anything in sight. Nightpaw and Les struggled against the torrent with little progression. "This is hopeless!" Les cried over the howling winds. "Let's find a place to get out of this storm."

Nightpaw's head shake was barely visible in the curtain of rain. "No! The scent trail has to be around here somewhere!"

"Nightpaw-"

"No!" The little she-cat shoved her nose into the ground for the umpteenth time that evening, sniffing desperately for Firestar's scent. "I'm not giving up."

Les bounded up in front of her, blocking her path. "Nightpaw, you know as well as I that any scent at all would be washed away by now." He leaped in her path again when she tried to sidestep him. "We have to find shelter somewhere." Something in his voice made Nightpaw stop for a moment.

She looked up into his eyes, the desperate confusion suddenly replaced by a chilling coldness. Les shivered for reasons that had nothing to do with the rain soaking his pelt. "Do what you'd like. I'm not giving up."  
"Nightpaw!"

"I'm. Not. Giving. Up." The chill in her eyes reached her voice, making Les visibly flinch.

He softened his voice before continuing. "Firestar is smart. He would be taking shelter from the storm right now. That means we can wait it out till the storm backs off as well." Nightpaw looked down. "And then we can continue searching." The she-cat slowly nodded, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion wash over her.

"Count your blessings, Les, because you just won an argument with me." A smile crept across her face. "Cats who do that don't tend to function normally after that." Les echoed the smile, relief flooding him. Finally, they could get some rest and common sense back into this little party.

As the two headed for a cliff not far off, Les spoke up. "I have a question."  
"I most likely have the answer."

"Why are you so dead set on finding Firestar? I mean, we can find our way back, but you keep on insisting we find Firestar."

Nightpaw opened her mouth, and then closed it again. She paused before answering. When she did speak, her voice was barely audible over the wind. "Because he's the closest thing I have to a father." Both were quiet, lost in their own thoughts.

"Well, there's a cave right there. I say we duck in there for a little while to get dry, at least." Les nodded towards an opening in the cliff face.

"I second the motion. Come on!" Nightpaw took some bounding steps and found herself in the drafty cave. The floor was damp at the entrance, but Nightpaw found a little shelter behind a shadowy column of rock. She couldn't see the back of the gaping hole, but she wasn't afraid. Les, on the other hand, felt a little shaky and curled up with his back to the wall. Nightpaw just grinned and shook her head, and lay down to sleep. Just before she fell asleep, she could have sworn that the storm whispered a goodnight to her.

* * *

Firestar lay with his back to the quieting storm, still unable to fall asleep. He knew that he needed to be rested for the long journey ahead of him, but one image kept popping back into his mind. Over and over, his mind played back the moment the badger scooped up the apprentice into its massive jaws and tore away. However hard he tried, he couldn't get the look of pure terror on the she-cat's face out of his mind.

He was trying to reason out why it wasn't his fault the she-cat was gone when a shifting to his right brought him back to the here and now. The tom saw Shade's figure rising from under the scant shelter and shiver in the biting wind. Firestar wondered what the cat could be doing this late at night, so he, too, got to his paws.

"Ravenpaw?" he asked quietly.

The tom shook his head. "Shade."

Firestar looked confused for a moment. "You are Ravenpaw. Taking on a new name doesn't change that."

"No, Firestar. I didn't just change my name." The black cat's voice seemed older, wiser than the cat Firestar knew as a kit. "Ravenpaw_ is _dead, and Shade has taken his place. Ravenpaw was too shy, too timid to ever have taken this journey I have. Life as a Bloodclan cat changed him beyond recognition, and Shade now stands where he did."

Firestar stayed quiet for a while. He knew his friend was changed, but enough to denounce his past life? "No." Firestar surprised himself with his comment. But he continued speaking, not really knowing where the words were coming from. "You've done some things you aren't proud of and believe that that alone is reason enough to claim a new cats life. But everyone has to go through this kind of thing. I've done some things I really don't wish to share, but I find it in myself to keep on my identity."

Shade cut him off. "But you don't understand. I've killed cats, Firestar. I've hurt those who were trying to help me, cat's I've cared about. I don't deserve the respect you give Ravenpaw."

The fiery tom padded over to the younger cat and put his tail on his shoulder. "I don't judge you more or less by what you've done, Ravenpaw, but on what you do now, what you do tomorrow."

The black tom closed his eyes and shook his head. "You really are very trusting, Firestar."

"You can count on it." The two cats stayed that way for a while, listening to the wind die down and the rain ease off the offensive. Soon, a full moon could be seen hanging in the sky, giving the whole earth a silvery sheen.

* * *

_She padded down the dark tunnel, with only her whiskers to tell her if anything was there. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew how to get there. Left, right, middle left, far right, and another left . . . Suddenly, she came across a brightly shining room, the source of light a glowing cat. It was the same cat she had seen so long ago when Firestar had been trapped in a fox trap, the cat whose voice haunted her dreams. "Wake up, Nightpaw. Wake up and come to me. You know where to go . . ." Suddenly the cat's light was extinguished; all that was left was a wavering shadow. The shadow cast a wicked grin and leaped at Nightpaw, claws outstretched and ready to kill._

Nightpaw eyes shot open, wild with the last remnants of the dream clinging to her mind. She shook herself to calm her breathing. She tried to lie down to sleep again, but she heard a soft voice whisper in the back of her mind, urging her forward. Curious, the apprentice stood up and shook off the dirt from the floor of the cave. From farther back, in the mouth of the cave, she could see the tiniest pinprick of light.

_Come to me . . . _

Nightpaw felt her paws going towards the strange light, but pulled back. She couldn't go back there alone.

_Come to the light . . ._

The midnight black she-cat looked over at her sleeping companion. She couldn't leave Les here alone. She tried to resist the pull.

_Nightpaw, you need me . . ._

Suddenly, she couldn't hold back any longer. That voice was agonizingly familiar! With a strangled cry, Nightpaw raced towards the brightness.

* * *

Les started from sleep. He heard a yelp and the sound of rushed foot-falls. He blinked open is eyes and saw Nightpaw starting down the pitch black tunnel. Not wanting to lose her, he immediately took after her. The she-cat took many strange twists and turns in the darkness. Left, right, middle left, far right, another left, the passage went on and on. Les bumped into a wall more than twice in trying to keep up with his friend.

Finally, the two came upon a large cavern, with a triangular hole in the roof. Les could just make out distant stars in the night sky. Nightpaw walked curiously up to a stone sitting in the middle of the pocket. It was a good three tail lengths high, but seemed to shimmer in the light of the stars. Les was about to ask what it was when the moon came into view in the hole. The moonlight caught the stone, causing it to reflect its silvery glow tenfold. Les gasped as Nightpaw breathed an almost inaudible word: "Moonstone."

* * *

Nightpaw had to remind herself to breath normally. She had heard stories about this cavern since she was a young kit, both from her mother, Star, and from Daisy. But she never thought she would see it in her lifetime. She remembered hearing some of the senior warriors speaking about Moonstone in hushed whispers. In her awe, Nightpaw didn't realize Les was there until she heard him gasp. She whirled on him.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, crouching low. Seeing Les's hurt expression, she immediately regretted being so harsh.

"I saw- I just-" Les stuttered. "You left and I guess, I just, well, I wanted to know where you were going." He stared at the stone floor.

Nightpaw just shook her head in dismissal. "In the stories I've heard, this is the Moonstone, the Clans closest-"

"Point to Starclan. All the Leaders earn their names here and medicine cats join here for mystic rituals every half-moon." Les finished. Nightpaw gazed at Les in bewilderment.

"How did you know that?"

Les shrugged and shrunk back a little in embarrassment. "I really liked listening to Shade's stories." The sandy-pelted cat sighed, staring into the sparkling depths of the Moonstone. Nightpaw took one tentative step toward it, then another.

"I never thought I'd ever be able to actually see it in person. I remember," she mewed as she hesitantly laid her head next to the stone. "I wonder-" She inched her nose towards the stone. "I wonder if she's up there . . ?" Nightpaw felt the sudden sensation of being dunked into freezing water, but she didn't even flinch. Without consciously acknowledging it, she knew what was waiting for her.

Nightpaw blinked open her eyes and waited to become accustom to the bright light. She found herself in a forest in full leaf, the scent of Greenleaf in the air and shadows dappling the ground. The apprentice felt as though she had seen this place before, but couldn't place where. A cat stepped out from behind a tree, its fur shining like the stars. Nightpaw gasped. She knew this cat.

"Hello, Nightpaw," she mewed.

**Dawn: Oo, Cliffhanger. I love those things. Review?**


	18. Chapter 18

**Dawn: 'Sup, chicas and chicos and any others, welcome! Well, I would like to introduce a very fun chapter to write, so I would really like some feedback to tell me if it was okay. My usual editor *cough cough* MICROSOFT *cough cough* seems to have again gone rouge on me and is out to get me. Sheesh, I really should get a better version than this dinosaur . . .**

Chapter 18

Nightpaw stood very still, trying to find words to the thoughts and feelings that danced through her mind. She opened her mouth to speak, and shut it again. Finally, she sat down.

"My little Night, how you've grown," the cat mewed in a warm tone.

Nightpaw finally got her wits about her and spoke. "Star, where are we?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"We are in Starclan's hunting grounds." Nightpaw looked startled, then remembered the folklore of the moonstone.

"How-?" the apprentice began, but Star cut her off.

"Not now, young one. I'm only here as a guide."

"Guide to where? To who?" Star only shook her head and started deeper into the woods. "Wha-" Nightpaw stood up and followed her mother with an exasperated sigh. She also remembered one of the queens mentioning how mysterious Starclan was. _Well, ain't that the truth._Nightpaw thought with an eye roll. Star finally came to a halt in front of a wide clearing. Smack dab in the middle of the clearing sat a weather worn rock, futility reaching to the heavens.

"Well, well, if it isn't the little kit, all grown up." Only then did Nightpaw see the cat perched on the rock. Its fur was matted and unkempt, the same deep grey as the stone beneath its paws. Another cat appeared from around the rock, shaking its black and white patched head.

"At least she's not all soggy this time, Yellowfang," he mewed, scrambling up onto the rock.

"Hush, Swiftpaw. We mustn't be rude." The older cat, Yellowfang, stood and looked down at the two she-cat's before her. "I bet little Nightpaw doesn't even remember her last visit."

Nightpaw gave the pair a curious look. "I've been here before?" she asked, cocking her head to one side. Yellowfang shot Swiftpaw an I-told-you-so look before answering.

"Yes." The deceased medicine cat answered blatantly. Nightpaw's face screwed up in confusion.

"You were only a little kit when you come here before." Swiftpaw offered.

"_Came _here, Swiftpaw. Past tense." Yellowfang corrected.

After making sure her back was turned, Swiftpaw made a face at Yellowfang. The she-cat finally addressed Star. "Thank you for bringing her here, Star. You may go now." Star bowed her head respectfully and left the clearing, but not before giving Nightpaw a quick smile.

Nightpaw turned back to Yellowfang, giving her a curious look. "Have I been here before?" Nightpaw repeated.

"I've already answered that question." Yellowfang replied curtly.

_Someone's a bit nit-picky today._Nightpaw tried again. "Fine. _When _have I been here before?" Nightpaw asked.

"I told you, when you were just a little- bitty kit!" Swiftpaw piped up. Nightpaw shot him a withering look.

"Explanation, please."

Yellowfang sighed. "When you were a very small kit, you drowned and came to join Starclan." Nightpaw took a step back. She died when she was a kit? Then she remembered the dream she had what seemed a lifetime ago. _"Star, she fell in the lake and didn't resurface until moonhigh. She couldn't have possibly escaped without injury." _Her father had also mentioned something about the rest.

"But I'm still alive. How can that be?" Nightpaw looked over to the patch of forest where her mother had disappeared.

"Well, you still had a purpose to live for, so Starclan sent you back." Yellowfang explained.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't send the other two back with ya." Swiftpaw added. Yellowfang closed her eyes in a controlled wince as Nightpaw gasped. "Oops. I wasn't supposed to tell you 'bout that stuff." Swiftpaw ducked his head.

"No, you were not." Yellowfang growled. "You can go now."

"Bu-"

"Now, Swiftpaw." Yellowfang meowed with a very threatening edge.

"Yes, Yellowfang." Swiftpaw replied obediently, then leaped from the rock and headed into the forest. Both she-cats watched him leave, then Nightpaw faced the older cat.

"What did he mean, 'the other two'?"

Yellowfang dropped her head, trying to collect her thoughts. "You had siblings. A brother named Fire and a sister named Silver."

Nightpaw instantly bristled. "If you saved me, why not them!" Seasons of suppressed feelings flooded over the wall she had put up so long ago and washed over Nightpaw. Yellowfang tried to speak, but Nightpaw overrode her her. "I could have had someone there, someone to talk too! I've always been alone, an outsider! Why couldn't you saved them! Why-"

"Nightpaw!" Yellowfang nearly shouted. That stopped the torrent of words from Nightpaw's mouth, but her mind was still a jumbled mess. Feelings she denied herself to even think about now overpowered her, crushing her. "Nightpaw, I'm sorry we couldn't save them as well, but that just wasn't meant to be. You had to be alone for the task set ahead of you."

"And what would that be?" Nightpaw interrupted.

"The reason you've been brought her tonight." Yellowfang replied calmly. Nightpaw opened her mouth to retort, and then closed it again.

Yellowfang leaped from the rock in a single bound and landed nimbly next to Nightpaw. "I need you to listen to me, Nightpaw, and listen to me good because I'm only going to say this once." The apprentice nodded, Yellowfang's words catching her attention.

The older cat raised her head and looked around, scanning for eavesdroppers. Once satisfied, she bent her head down to Nightpaw and spoke in a low voice. "There are dark forces among us. Starclan's power isn't what it used to be, and said dark forces know it. A critical turning point is closing in on the clans, but they are unprepared to deal with it." Nightpaw suddenly flashed back to the vision she had, so long ago of the shadows attacking and destroying the clans under the starless sky. Would that actually happen? She looked at Yellowfang with fear filled eyes.

"But why are you telling me?" Nightpaw asked quietly, fearing the answer.

"I'm afraid you may already know." Yellowfang's shape seemed to grow misty, as if she wasn't really there anymore. "They've found us." The older cat closed her eyes. "One night, this blackness will blot out the stars, and that is the night calamity shall strike. It's up to you to stop it." Yellowfang spun around suddenly, baring her teeth.

"Yellowfang, what do you mean? How am I supposed to stop a disaster?" The Thunderclan apprentice was growing more wary and afraid by the second.

"Nightpaw, run." Yellowfang growled.

"Wha-?"

"Run!" Yellowfang crouched low and pounced at an enemy Nightpaw couldn't see. Nightpaw sensed the urgency and started to run back the way she came. She was about to reach the edge of the woods when black wisps of smoke pulled up in front of her and formed into the shape of a cat. But it wasn't like any cat Nightpaw had seen before. Its edges were undefined and constantly shifting and its eyes were only triangular slits of fiery red. It bared its teeth in a devious smile and leaped at Nightpaw, claws extended. The young she-cat ducked and clawed at its belly. But instead of ripping at its fur, her paw passed straight through the cat.

"Nightpaw!" Star's voice called from the wood. "Come quick!" Nightpaw didn't need any more prompting. She ran straight for her mother's voice, not daring to look back. When she reached Star, her mother joined her in her flight. The two ran side by side at top speed through the woods. Finally they came to a halt in the clearing Nightpaw had originally showed up in. Star looked Nightpaw right in the eye.

"Don't forget what you've seen and heard here tonight. It may be your only chance at survival."

"Mother, please explain what's going on! I-" Star touched Nightpaw's nose with her own to stop the words.

"I love you sweetie. Stay safe." She pulled back when the shadowy cat burst into the clearing. Star closed her eyes and a faint light began to glow around her. The shadow stopped it's approach and stood still. The light continued to grow, shining brighter and brighter. The shadow turned and started to run from the light. Nightpaw looked at her mother in amazement, but there was no one there. The light became so bright that Nightpaw had to close her eyes. The last thing she saw was the shadow's menacing glare as it rounded a tree.

* * *

Les opened his eyes, a bit dazed. He looked around the cavern and at the moonstone, where Nightpaw still sat. He, having not grown up in a clan and heard much folklore, had not known what to expect when he laid his head against moonstone. He had awoken to find himself in a forest in greenleaf, surrounded by cats milling around. That was definitely not what he had expected Starclan to be like. When looking for a certain cat, Les and all Starclan were attacked by shadowy cats! Shade had told him a many things about Starclan, but he never mentioned them having enemies!

The last thing Les remembered was a flash of brilliant light filling his vision. Now he sat there in the dark feeling quite lonesome and confused. Fading moonlight cast strange shadows over the walls, sending shivers down Les's spine. He moved closer to Nightpaw and the glittering Moonstone and bared his teeth.

Shaking his head, Les silently scolded himself for being a scaredy-mouse and stuck his tongue out at the shadows. Les felt Nightpaw stir at his side. He cautiously stuck out his paw and poked the sleeping she-cat. Nightpaw jumped back with a jolt, eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream. The suddenness of her switch in gears sent Les scrambling back. Nightpaw started to become aware of her surroundings, and took a few deep breaths.

"Well," she mewed, then cleared her throat.

"Well, aren't you jumpy?" Les replied.

Nightpaw shot him a withering look. "You'd be jumpy, too, if you had my dream." She involuntarily shuddered.

"Let me guess." Les trotted up and sat down next to Nightpaw. "Something all cool and mystic-y was happening when you got attacked by freaky shadow dudes."

Her head spun around and she looked at him with wide eyes. "How'd you know about the shadows?"

Les shrugged. "You're not the only one who had a dream." After a bit of a pause, he spoke again. "What do you think they are?"

Nightpaw shook her head. "I don't know, but I know that they're not friendlies." Les nodded. "Now, do you know how to get out of here?"

He shot her a startled look. "You're the one who lead us down here! I thought you knew how to get out!"

"No! I was lead down by a little light that was calling me."

"Great! Now we're stuck in here!" Les reasoned.

"No, we're not. Now shut up so I can think." Les did as he was told and let his companion have a bit of quiet. "How long were we down here?" Nightpaw asked suddenly.

"I can't really tell, but it couldn't have been more than a few hours."

Nightpaw nodded. "Then we should be able to pick up a faint scent trail back up through the tunnel. We may not have been touching the walls very much, but without wind down here, we could probably find something." This seemed to cheer the tom up, and the two headed into the tunnel. Like Nightpaw had reasoned, there was a faint scent trail hanging in the air. They followed it up and forward until they saw a faint light in the distance.

Les paused for a second, then started to run ahead. Nightpaw chuckled inwardly and started after him. When they broke out of the cave's entrance, Les stopped and took a big breath. Nightpaw watched her companion as he turned to lick his shoulder. She hadn't known this cat for more than a few days, but she already trusted him with her life. He was not much older than Nightpaw by much, but he seemed to have seen more of life than his fair share. Then a thought struck her. What was he going to do when they got back to the clans? Would he leave, or would he stay with them? Nightpaw surprised herself by having the fleeting hope he would stay. She had to shake her head to get rid of the thought.

"Shall we go, then?" Les asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Nightpaw nodded. "Let's go find us some clans, then." The two started towards the rising sun and, hopefully, the clans.


	19. Chapter 19

**Dawn: Hey, folks! Wow! I'm still surprised I have this many wonderful readers! And guess what? I finally updated my Microsoft! Yippee! Wow, did I really just say 'yippee'? I need to stop watching all those oldies but goodies. . .**

Chapter 19

Firestar trotted alongside Sandstorm, trying to rid his mind of the constant circle of questions and worries. It had been six sunsets since the storm, and the group of cats was nearing Clan territory, or so Rochelle had said. The she-cat had said her farewells to them that morning and departed to travel back to her home. She had claimed that it was too late in leafbear to be gone from home too long and wished them well on finding the way home. Now Graystripe, Sandstorm, Firestar and Shade were a bit more than a day's travel from the Windclan border.

"Well, I'd say this would be a pleasant time to go fetch some fresh-kill and grab a bit of shuteye before the triumphant return." Graystripe yawned casually.

Eying the suns low position in the sky, Sandstorm nodded. "Motion is seconded. All those in favor?" A chorus of 'Aye!'s met her proposal. The group split off to go do some hunting, but Graystripe stayed by Firestar's side. They stalked through the tall grass for a while in silence, until finally Graystripe spoke.

"What's up?" he asked. Firestar shot him a look, then continued through the growth. Graystripe cut him off. "I'm serious. Something is eating you from the inside out. What is it?"

Firestar dropped his head so he wouldn't have to meet his friend's eyes. This was the cat who was his best friend since he joined the clans; this was the cat who stood by him in everything he went through. This cat was always ready to follow him blindly into whatever adventure presented itself. Firestar knew that if he could tell anyone, it would be this cat. It would be Graystripe.

"It's Nightpaw." Firestar whispered finally. Graystripe nodded.

"I understand. She was quite the little apprentice. She reminded me of a strong-willed cat I once knew." He let that linger in the air as he looked at Firestar.

"I probably shouldn't be so concerned, but-" Firestar let out a sigh of frustration. "She was my apprentice!"

Graystripe shook his head slowly. "No, it's a bit more than that. You're the father she never had." At Firestar's confused look, Graystripe continued. "I don't know if you realize this, but family bonds run very deep in any cat, especially loners. Nightpaw is no exception. She never knew her family, though, and that has to be a pretty hard blow. But you gave her a home in the clan, and practically adopted her. I don't think any one cat could have done more for her."

Firestar was very quiet. He had never really thought about it that way. Again, the seemingly ignorant Graystripe offered the cold, hard truth in all the right words. "I just wanted to keep my word to Star. To watch out for her, to raise her as a warrior." Firestar sighed again, but this time in just plain bitterness. "What a great job _I_did."

"Firestar, you did everything that you could. It wasn't you're fault she got carried away by a badger. No one could have stopped that." Graystripe said it with such fervent faith that he almost convinced Firestar. Almost.

"Thanks, Graystripe." And he meant it. He finally looked up and met his friends eyes. There was warmth behind those yellow eyes.

"Now, let's go get us some dinner before the other's start without us." Both cats smiled and began to scent the air for prey.

* * *

A chilling breeze pulled at Nightpaw's fur, causing her to shiver yet again. Beside her, Les moved protectively closer. She fluffed up her fur and continued walking. They had been walking for about six days with little time for resting and hunting at the nights. Both cats had been quite discouraged and tired until they had detected Firestar's fresh-ish scent on a bush in they're path. But that was yesterday, and the excitement had worn off and the doubt had taken its place.

"Wait." Les pulled Nightpaw to a halt and peered off into the distance. A faint shape of a cat was moving directly towards them. Nightpaw scanned the moor they were on for a hiding place, but there was nothing but open plain.

"Maybe if we approach it head on, whoever it is will leave us alone." Nightpaw suggested.

Les shrugged and started again. "It's our only chance." The two young cats held their heads up high and tried to appear as if they could handle any trouble that threw itself at them. Slowly, Les and Nightpaw neared the mysterious cat. One hundred feet. Fifty feet. Twenty feet. Ten feet. Then both parties stopped dead.

The mystery cat started grinning and raced the last stretch to Les and Nightpaw. "Les!" it cried.

"Rochelle?" Les's face registered an emotion that hadn't been seen in six days: hope. "Rochelle!" All three cats started purring as they greeted each other. Finally, Nightpaw asked a question.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were travelling with the other clan cats."  
Rochelle nodded quickly. "I was, but they're close enough to the border to find their own way home."

"But why didn't you wait for us? I thought Firestar said to meet up at the old barn if we get separated." Les pointed out.

Rochelle barely waited for Les to finish before answering. "Because we thought you were dead!" The two younger cats shared startled glances.

"Dead? Why would you think that?" Les questioned.

"Hmm, let me see," Rochelle looked up in mock concentration. "One of you got carried away by a badger, the other followed, and when we followed the trail, what did we see? Oh, yeah, a big messy clearing that had obviously just served as a badger's lunch table. But I guess you can't make any assumptions that the two were dead, now could you." Rochelle cut the sarcasm in her voice before asking another question. "So what did happen that got you out of there alive?"

"Well, you see, I got tossed in a pond-" Nightpaw began.

"Because Mr. Meanie Badger didn't like the taste of Sourpuss Sally over here." Les interjected.

"And Les got me out of the pond." Nightpaw shot Les a look full of 'I'm-so-killing-you-later'. "We traveled to the barn meet up with your group, but got there a little late. We've been travelling ever since to try and catch up with you."

Rochelle's shoulders visibly relaxed. "Firestar will be so glad. I've never seen a cat get so down." The she-cat looked up at the suns position in the sky. "You're only about a day's journey behind them. If you run you may intercept them at the border. I would really love to travel with you, but I know there will be more than a few cats looking for my help after what happened in Bloodclan." She turned to walk by them, but paused and looked at Les. "If you're ever back my way," she sighed slightly. "You're always welcome. Well, good-bye. May Starclan light your paths."

"And may the prey run well for you, Rochelle." Nightpaw responded. "We'll miss you."

Les touched his nose to her ear softly. "Good bye, Rochelle." With a nod and small wave of the tail, Rochelle turned and ran towards the horizon. The two watched as she crested a hill and fell from view. They continued sitting for a little while in silence. Finally, Les turned to Nightpaw. "Ready?"

"Two steps ahead of you." And with that, both of them turned and raced away from where Rochelle had vanished.

**Dawn: Oooo. We're getting close. To what? I ain't tellin. Hey, you see that little button just beneeth these words? Click it and tell me what you think. Click it. Cliiiiiiick it! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Dawn: OMGoodness, I am sooo sorry! I would have updated sooner, but life get's crazy, with a story just finished and all. I'll try to be quicker, don't worry.**

Chapter 20

Firestar sat silently staring up at the moon as it leaped from one cloud to another, ducking in and out of sight. The stars twinkled playfully between the wispy clouds that blanketed the sky. He half wished he could be up there in the night sky instead of on the cold hard ground. How could he face his clan tomorrow? He had been gone for more than half a moon, and who knew what had happened while he was gone. And how in the world would he tell Daisy that Nightpaw was dead? She would have his head for sure.

The cold, silent wood of the barn behind him brought his mind back to a happier time, to times when his only care was for the prey he was stalking. If only he could go back . . .

The moon had made half it's arch across the sky. He was supposed to wake Graystripe now, but he remained motionless. Something was coming over the rise. Two somethings. Firestar stepped into the shadow of the barn, awaiting their approach. As they drew closer, he heard their voices carried by the wind.

"There's the barn, just like I said it would be."

"Fine. But tomorrow we'd better get to the clans. I'm tired of being a wanderer."

A familiar laugh drifted through the air. "Oh, come on. You haven't seen nuthin' yet, prissy boy."

The other figure let out and indignant scoff. "Prissy boy? Is tha' seriously all you-" The first voice hissed the other into silence.

"I smell something." Both dropped into hunter's crouches, nearly disappearing from view. Firestar silently slipped into the barn, gently waking the others. Sandstorm and Graystripe were a little confused, but Shade seemed perfectly aware of the situation, as if he had never slept at all. But Firestar could think about that later.

"We don't move until their just outside. I want to know if their friend or foe before we attack." Firestar quickly instructed.

"I'm pretty sure their friend, Firestar." Nightpaw countered.

"We'll, I want to be sure, Nightpaw. Now, we-" Firestar did a double take, coughing a bit. "Nightpaw?"  
His apprentice gave him an annoyed stare. "Yes, that's my name. You got a problem with that?"

"Honestly, you'd think they'd at least smile." Les dropped from the rafters, padding up to stand by Nightpaw. Everyone just gawked in amazement. Finally, Graystripe did the most logical thing he could think of. He fell over.

That broke the silence.

"Nightpaw! I'm so glad you're back!" Sandstorm cried.

"But-how? We thought you were dead!" Firestar added.

Les chuckled. "Yeah, Rochelle filled us in on tha' one. But don't worry. We're here now, and that's all tha' matters."

"You saw Rochelle?" Sandstorm had grown quite fond of the witty she-cat during the few days of travel with her. She learned a bit of traveling and healing herbs that could be useful to the clans. She was sad to leave her.

Nightpaw nodded. "She's the one who told us where you were. And if you had slowed down a bit, we would have caught up with you sooner." She turned to her travel partner, about to say something when she noticed his expression. He was looking at Shade curiously.

"You came with them." he observed.

Shade nodded. "Trust me, I didn't plan on it, Mess. Things just happened." There was the most imperceptible shake of the head, and Les returned it with an even less noticeable nod. Firestar guessed he was imagining things. Wouldn't be a first.

"Um, guys?" Nightpaw called. The other cats turned back to her. She was crouching over a still stunned Graystripe, poking the warrior with a tentative paw. Graystripe twitched rather sharply, sending the apprentice sprawling.

Suddenly, the warrior leaped to his feet. "They're alive!" he exclaimed, somewhat perplexed.

"Not if you keep up stunts like that." Nightpaw muttered under her breath.

Les sat down in front of him. "No, we're spirits of the dead come back to haun' you and lead your souls with us down to the underworld." The Thunderclan warrior paused. Shade hung his head with an exasperated sigh.

"Kiddin'," Les added with a smile. Graystripe began breathing again.

"Well, I know you're all full of questions," Shade began, "But I'm sure our two little travelers deserve a good night's rest. Talking can wait till tomorrow." Les gave him a grateful look.

Firestar nodded. "Yes, let's all get some sleep. I'll go back on watch-"  
"No, I'll take it." Shade cut him off.

"Right." Graystripe circled in his temporary nest of hay. "Let's get some sleep."

* * *

Silver starlight filtered through the cracks on the roof, casting weak shadows over the five sleeping cats. Outside, a pacing figure could be seen, crossing back and forth. On the surface, one could take him as just enjoying the cool air. But closer examination revealed a deeply troubled cat.

Shade shook his head, hoping to knock some sense into his raging mind. But no matter how he looked at it, the same question kept circling back. _Do I stay, or do I go?_

He tried to reason with himself. What were his options? Go back to Bloodclan? No, that was not an option. There was nothing left for him there, not after totally messing with the chain of succession. What else? Go back to the clans. Shade shook his head. What was there for him? Anyone who even remembered him wouldn't be open to a home. A thought struck him. "Didn't I make this same decision before?" he found himself saying aloud.

Yes, he remembered it well. Running through the woods, a young Firepaw at his side, knowing that only certain death remained if he tried to go home. Tigerclaw would kill him next time he saw him, but where else would he go? He always knew clan life wasn't for him. But then Firepaw had made the suggestion for him to escape to the life of a loner, he had felt a sudden longing for that life. He had been abandoned in the clans to escape life as a loner, and now-

Shade stopped short, almost winded by the completely offhanded idea that struck him. His entire apprenticeship and then some he had spent in the pain of being born of and abandoned by loners. Now Nightpaw was suffering the same thing. Her reticent behavior, her unwillingness to trust had been caused by him. He had shoved this fate on her as a helpless kit. It was Star that had left her behind, but it was he that forced her to do so. Him.

He thought of her instant distrust and spite towards him. How had she known? Had Star told her? No, impossible, he thought. Star was too kind to shove that kind of news on a kit. It left only one possible solution.

His gaze snapped skywards. He then scolded himself for being so silly. He had never truly believed all of the clans' superstition about dead cats living the sky. Starclan never existed for him. But what other explanation was there?

Shade looked at the sky once more. He noticed that the stars seemed to be swimming in a thick mist. Blinking back the tears of frustration pooling in his eyes, he found his hoarse voice echoing in the still night. "What's going on?" he asked the blanked of twinkling lights. "What do I do? What do I say?" His voice was nearing a shout now. "What am I?"

His voice caught. "What am I?" he whispered. His head knocked into the side of the barn, the cold wood sending soothing shivers down his spine. He stayed that way for a long time before speaking again.

"Starclan," he began, "I don't know if you're even there. But if you are, I could really use some help right now. What do I do? Am I a clan cat, or not? Please tell me. I need to know. What am I?"

"You're a cat, obviously," a cool, female voice answered. Shade spun around instantly, stunned. "Oh, don't look so shocked. Deep down you knew we were real."

It was a deep gray she-cat, her fur ruffled and unkempt and sparkling with drops of starlight. Piercing yellow eyes watched him steadily. "But-"

"But nothing. Now, I know you've got a bundle full of questions, but this is probably the last visit any cat's going to be getting from Starclan, so shut up and listen." Shade's mouth opened to speak, but Yellowfang hastily overrode him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're not even a clan cat, but that's the point. All clan cat's have been cut off." she explained his unasked question.

"What does that mean?" Shade interrupted quickly.

Yellowfang sighed. "It means the Shadow has completely blocked off all communications with the clans. Even the adopted cats are slipping away. Face it, bub, you and you're little plucky kit are all we got left."

"You mean Nightpaw?"

Yellowfang rolled her eyes. "No, Graystripe. Of course Nightpaw! Now, listen, and listen good. Starclan isn't what we used to be. Ever since-" Yellowfang shook her head. "Well, never mind about when, but there has been a mysterious void on the edge of the sky since before the clans were formed. But now, it's chosen to strike. Don't ask me why, we hardly even know."

"We've been trying to find a way around it for a while, but everything is coming down around our whiskers. Starclan needs the clans, but the Shadow has cut off all communications. Now, all we've got left to hope fo-" The she-cat flickered out for a moment. She reappeared, looking scared. "Warn them, Shade!" Her voice had taken a higher pitch, full of terror. "Warn them, before it's too late!" She flickered out again.

"Yellowfang?" Shade asked, his voice taking on the same twinge of fear. The prickly she-cat appeared for a second time, but her outline was dim and faded, like a misty morning.

"The Starless Night is approaching, and the clans had better be ready for it. Or else the world turns to shadow and all bonds be severed. We can't risk-" She faded from view altogether.

She didn't come back.

Shade stood in silence. What was the she-cat talking about? Shadows and voids, warnings and Starless Night? Nothing made sense. But one thing was obvious. Shade's friends were in serious trouble, and he had a direct role to play.

He felt his face become a mask of determination as he turned back to the barn. He was reminded of a saying Les and Jim used to say when referring to solving problems. "Let's get jiggy with it."


	21. Chapter 21

**Dawn: Sorry, folks. Life just got a little too busy for compy time, and I just recently got over a huge bout of writers block. I swear, that thing's like the plague.**

Chapter 21

Nightpaw awoke with a yawn. She stood up with a violent shake of her head, and stretched out as far as she could reach. _Well,_ she thought a little groggily,_ another day of traveling ahea-_ She straightened. No, they were going home today. Home! Nightpaw's first thought was of Cinderpaw's expression when she saw the company enter camp. That would have to be priceless. Her second was of all the bragging rights she was going to get with this adventure with Berrypaw. Oh, the cat would be seething with envy, she knew.

Next to her, Graystripe let out a groan. "See?" he mumbled. "I told you the sheep wouldn't fit in the gap. Now look at the mess I've got to clean up." Nightpaw looked down at the warrior in concern for a moment, then slowly inched away, just to topple over a just-stirring Firestar. Firestar sat up with a snort and an exclamation on his whereabouts. Sandstorm poked her head through the door at that point, a few mice dangling from her jaws.

"Um, do I even want to know?" she asked.

Graystripe let out a startled gasp/snort. "No! Anything but the lawnmower!" All three cat's spun around to face him. Sandstorm hesitated for only a moment, then tossed a mouse onto Graystripe's head with precision.

"Wake up, you pathetic excuse for a slug!" she commanded. Graystripe started, then noticed the mouse lying off to his right. "Yum." He bent down and started sniffing the little treat. The other three looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Graystripe seemed to notice he was being observed, and turned to face them.

"Morning!" he called cheerfully. Nightpaw rolled her eyes. Sandstorm passed around the scanty meal, and they ate in silence. As she slowly savored her scrawny mouse, Nightpaw realized that it was truly leafbare. The slim pickings while they hunted and the plummeting temperature testified plainly of that. It could only be worse back at the clans. The only thing missing was this mythical 'snow' she had heard tell of. She had been alive for at least two leafbears, but she had never seen this wet powder Cinderpaw had claimed fell from the sky instead of rain. She began to seriously debate whether or not this was some elaborate leg-pulling.

Her thoughts turned to her clan. How had they faired this past moon? Without their leader, things must have gone a little rocky. But Brambleclaw had a good head on his shoulders. Not much got past the thoughtful tom. For some reason, the thought of Squirrelflight's new kits entered her mind. Usually, Nightpaw avoided young critters as much as possible, distancing herself from the nursery. Those little balls of fur could really trip up a cat. But there was something about that cloudy gray tom . . .

"Well, shall we go?" Sandstorm stood up, shaking her whiskers.

Graystripe stretched his long claws on the hay in front of him, then spoke. "What about ol' Shade? Not that I'll miss the grouch, but it wouldn't exactly very gentleman-like, or so Millie tells me."

Sandstorm looked around. "I guess-"

"He's not coming." All four cats spun around to face a very prickly looking Les. His fur was still ruffled from sleep, but the steely glint in his eyes scared away all impressions of a sleepy Les.

"Excuse me?" Firestar fixed Les an inquiring gaze. The younger cat just shouldered past him with grunt. "Les?" Firestar's voice was more commanding. Les didn't meet his eyes. "Les, where is Shade?"

"He ran off, okay? Gone! Bye-bye! Adios!" Les almost shouted. After a tense moment while that sunk in, he dashed off through the doorway.

Nightpaw was the first to recover. She rushed to the door and pulled him back to face her. "What do you mean, gone?"

Les took a deep, shuddering breath. "I woke up this morning, and Shade looked all nervous. He told me he needed to go get some air, and left the barn. He didn't come back. I went out to search for him, but he's gone. I- I think he left." The sandy tom stared down at his feet, blinking hard. Nightpaw then realized what a betrayal to Les this would be. Shade had somehow made himself a hero for Les, a second father. And after all that had happened with Nightpaw and her little party, Shade had left Les alone to pick up the pieces of his shattered life.

"Les . . ." she trailed off. Why couldn't she summon up a few simple words to comfort this lost kit? _Oh, I know why, _she thought bitterly. _I'm 'antisocial' and 'a loner', at least according to my father. _

Then something happened that hadn't happened in many long years. Nightpaw took a risk. "You could come with us." she offered. Offered. Nightpaw knew she was taking a risk by those few words. She opened herself to friendship, but thereby opening herself to be hurt again. _Oh, curse it all! I can't live my life in a shell! _

"A-are you sure?" Les whispered.

Nightpaw nodded. "Yes."

There it was. Nightpaw, once the rough-and-tumble tough cat, had taken a chance with her own emotions. After so much hurt, caused by the betrayal of her parents, the secrets she knew, and the constant warnings from Starclan, one would think she could never love or trust again. But, in typical Nightpaw fashion, nothing could be predicted.

Nightpaw, with a new spark flickering behind her eyes, turned to her companions. "Let's go home."

* * *

It took longer than he had first estimated, but Shade followed his nose (and a very obvious path) to a large depression, almost like a wide hole. He could see a few cats out in the center of the clearing, sunning themselves in the scant warmth of high-noon, but his senses told him there were quite a many more within hidden caves and crevices. That was fine by him. He just needed to find the medicine den.

He prowled along the edge of the camp, using his dark coat to blend into the shadows. To any normal passerby, he would have just been a flitting shadow in the breeze.  
Unfortunately, the current passerby wasn't 'normal'. He was Thunderclan.

Shade was knocked sideways, caught off guard. His assailant was either very lucky or very intelligent, for Shade was never caught unawares, and was now quite flustered. They rolled for a moment in the dirt until the Thunderclan warrior had Shade pinned beneath strong claws.

"What are you doing prowling around my camp?"  
Wait a second, Shade thought. Take nine steps back. He knew that voice. It was deeper, gruffer, and possibly a bit more weary than her heard it last, but it was there.

"I said, what are you doing here?" the cat demanded.

"Oh, I heard you the first time, Dustpelt. Now, kindly remove your big, oafish paw from my neck, or I'll remove it permanently." Shade grumbled.

Shade wouldn't have been more stunned if the trees themselves stood up, preformed a complicated step dance, and called him a ninny.

"Ravenpaw?" Dustpelt managed.

Shade growled. "More or less. Now, get off!" Dustpelt hurriedly backed off a few paced. Shade stood up and shook himself, freeing the dirt from his pelt. "Now, might I ask why you were prowling around your own camp?"  
To Shade's surprise, Dustpelt sighed. "I'm not allowed inside."

Shade now openly showed his surprise. "What on earth did you do?"

Dustpelt looked up, somewhat surprised. "Oh! No, nothing like that. It's just . . . well, apparently I am a horrible cat to have around when my mate is kitting."

Shade hid a smile. This old cat hadn't changed a bit. He wondered who else was here. Maybe there was Goldenflower, or ol' Mousefur, or- No! Shade shook himself mentally. He was _not _rejoining the clans. He was a loner. Always had been. Now, he just needed to find the medicine cat, warn her about Starclan's distance, and get out of there. He realized Dustpelt was giving him a strange look, and pulled himself from his thoughts.

"Is Cinderpelt here? I need to talk to her." Shade asked, getting to the point.

Dustpelt looked down at his paws. "No. She was killed by a badge a few moons ago. Crushed poor Leafpool."

Shade took a respectful moment of silence. He knew Cinderpelt from an apprentice, a sparky young thing that was so full of life. Shade had been so ecstatic when the apprentice had recovered from the accident, mentally and physically. Now it seemed so cruel of fate to take her away now. Then again, the fates had never been kind to that cat. He secretly hoped that Cinderpelt would get another chance at life, even though he knew it was preposterous.

"Is Leafpool the medicine cat now, then?" Dustpelt nodded in affirmation. Just then, a voice drifted from the woods.

"Dustpelt? Dustpelt where are you? Leafpool says you can come back now!" Dustpelt looked to Shade with eyes full of excitement.

Shade smiled, slightly. "Go on, new daddy. Just don't tell anyone I'm here. Send Leafpool when she's ready."

Dustpelt looked positively thrilled. He nodded once and rocketed through the underbrush towards the entrance. Shade followed, much more slowly and stealthily. He found himself a cozy tree and leaped into it's lower branches. It wasn't until then he realized he had no idea what to say to Leafpool. "Oh, hi, guess what? Starclan has abandoned you and you're on the brink of disaster. Pip pip cheerio, I'm off."

Yeah, right.

Shade began to put together a gentle way to ease into the issue. After a while, he heard soft footsteps coming closer. When the medicine cat stepped into view, Shade slipped from the branch, startling Leafpool. She began to back away.

"No! Don't be scared. It's just me, Ravenpaw. I'm not gonna hurt you." Something must have triggered, for Leafpool stopped retreating, though she didn't look completely convinced. She studied his face for a long moment, then nodded.

"You're a long way from home. Why are you here?"

Shade snorted. "Oh, that's a long story. But now is not the time. Leafpool, we need to talk. Care to go for a walk?"


End file.
